The Boy With The Emerald Eyes
by sch.94
Summary: After the tragic death of her parents, Chloe begins to see ghosts everywhere. She is confused and alone until she meets two mysterious boys who tell her what she really is. What will she do when they dissappear? Can she find them before it's too late?
1. Accidents

**Author's Note**: Sheeeeee's baaaaaaaaaack!

Man, I missed you guys! It feels like forever since I talked to you about the random stuff that pops into my head! Anyways, as you've probably already guessed, this is my next big project! I'm super duper (yes, I just said super duper) excited for this, but I'm gunna need you guys to give me your honest opinions of this chapter. Does it seem a bit iffy? Is it worth continuing? Tell me!

And if I do continue, I'd like to apologize in advanced for my sporadic updates. I'm gunna try to update every weekend, but if I have a test or something due that week it's gunna take more time.

Also, if anyone is looking for a beta, I'm open :)

Side-Note: I've decided to include quotes in every chapter. I think they help get you into the mood, don't you think?

**---**

**Disclaimer: **Christina walks in on Steph's midnight writing session.

Christina: Watcha' workin' on there, girlie? I thought you were done your story?

Steph: *Eyes twitching, typing like crazy*  
It's my new story! I call it, _The Boy With The Emerald Eyes! _

Christina: *Rolls eyes*  
As in, Derek? As in, another Darkest Powers fanfic?! Why don't you take a break and write a Twilight one or something?

Steph: I can't! My fans need me!

Christina: …

Steph: What?

Christina: You _do_ know you don't own DP-

Steph:*Clicks something, music blares from the speakers*  
Sorry? What was that? I can't hear you! What's that you say? I own DP AND the plot and all the characters I create for _this_ story?! Awesome!  
*Turns back to the computer and begins typing again*

Christina: *Shakes her head and walks away*

**---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------**

_I believe that imagination is stronger than knowledge  
__-- myth is more potent than history  
__-- dreams are more powerful than facts  
__-- hope always triumphs over experienc  
__-- laughter is the cure for grief  
__-- love is stronger than death._

-Robert Fulghum

**---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------**

**Accidents**

Ten Years Old

The painful screeching sound of the brakes struggling to stop the car and the violent disarray of colours outside my window caused my stomach to lurch. We were spinning out of control; our winter tires no match against the two feet of snow and slush on the deserted highway.

"Mom! Dad!" I'd screamed, though I knew now that they never did hear me.

The car collided with the railing. The airbags deployed, the horn was blaring, but I didn't notice until the fifth or sixth time. The windshield was shattered; glacial winds streaming through the multiple fissures.

I unbuckled my seatbelt and leaned forward. "M-mom? D-dad?" They didn't respond, and their silence sent a shiver down my spine. I climbed into the front seat.

"M-mom? Mom, w-wake up!" I shook her gently with one hand, willing myself to ignore the bloody gashes on her face. When she didn't answer me I blinked back the tears forming behind my eyelids and turned to my father's limp figure.

"D-daddy? W-wake up, pl-please! Mom's not m-moving!" My teeth were chattering as I shook him, obscuring what I was saying. I was stuttering too, but at the time I had thought it was due to the cold.

I could feel the tears gathering on my cheeks as I tried, with no avail, to wake my parents.

Somewhere in the back of my mind I knew they were already gone. I didn't know much about death at the time, having only attended my Uncle Ben's funeral when I was much younger, but I knew my parents, and they would never play this mean of a trick on me... I shook them again and pleaded with their lifeless forms, feeling the familiar sickening sense of dread in the pit of my stomach when I realized they weren't breathing.

I don't know what compelled me to do it- maybe It was the unbearable cold, or maybe I thought if I went to sleep it would all disappear- but I returned to the back seat, curled up underneath my jacket and fell asleep.

I sat up in bed and put my head in my hands. It was all a dream, of course, but it was one I knew well enough. It had been on "replay" inside my head ever since that night, and I knew that - just like every other night – there was no chance of me waking up until the moment the little girl I had been in my dream fell asleep.

I knew why my subconscious tortured me this way, but that never made it any easier to bear. _You shouldn't even be alive, _it would whisper to me. _You're better off dead, anyway._

And it was true- I _shouldn't _have been alive. The doctors who had treated me after the accident said it was a miracle that I had only escaped with a few minor injuries, calling it a scientific anomaly because the force of the impact should have caused me to smash my skull against the window.

I shook my head and got up, my feet meeting with the cold cement floor. I tiptoed past the beds of the other sleeping children and slipped out the door and into the hallway.

The social workers in charge of me had dumped me here and left, with nothing but a 'have fun' and a scrap of paper with their numbers on it. I had quickly thrown that away- it was of no use to me. My parents wouldn't be coming back; did it matter if I was unhappy?

I trudged down the narrow hallway, stopping at the bathroom. I shuffled in and locked the door behind me.

I pulled the toilet seat cover down and sat down, crossing my legs. I closed my eyes and thought of my parents, picturing my mother's smile and the times my dad and I had gone out for pizza after my gymnastics competitions – happier times, when all I had to worry about was what outfit I was going to wear the next day and whether my favourite show was on after my bedtime.

"Chloe?" I opened my eyes and smiled.

"Hey mom! I missed you."

"I missed you too, sweetie, but we talked right before you went to bed! Why the sudd- wait, did you have the dream again?" She crinkled her forehead in concentration.

I sighed. "Yeah…"

"Oh, sweetheart," she whispered, wrapping her transparent arms around me. I could've sworn I felt the slightest pressure, but I was probably just imagining it. "You know you don't have to worry about it anymore. What has happened has happened, and we can't change that."

"I know," I murmured. "It's just…seeing it happen, over and over, it's…"

She pulled back and sat down on the edge of the bathtub. "I know it's horrible, but it doesn't have to be. Just remember: I'll always be here for you to talk to, just like before, so in a way, nothing has changed!"

_But everything else has,_ I wanted to say. I nodded and smiled instead.

"Thank you, mom. I love you."

"I love you too, sweetie. Now go to bed! You know you have that meeting tomorrow…"

"Okay. Goodnight, mom."

"Goodnight Chloe."

I blinked and she was gone.

I got up and left the washroom, making my way back to the room where I slept, feeling better. My mother and I had been speaking every night since the accident, and every time I talked to her I felt safe and happy again. When she first appeared to me in the hospital, I thought I had gone crazy.

Well, _crazier. _After waking up in the hospital the day after the crash, I realized there was something seriously wrong with me – I could see people that no one else could see.

I realized this when an old man had limped into my room, wearing – to my extreme horror – nothing but a hospital gown. He limped right up to the doctor and yelled: "You bastard! How hard it is to remember to wash your hands before performing a surgery?" He then proceeded to kick the doctor a few times in the shin.

I watched all of this in extreme confusion as the doctor went on to ask me ridiculous questions with a smile on his face.

_"Do you smoke, drink, or inhale any illegal substances?"_

_"I'm nine and a half years old. What do you think?" _I hadn't meant to snap at him, but if the guy was stupid enough to ask questions like that, then there was probably something wrong with _him. _He asked a few more questions, oblivious to what was going on behind him.

_"Excuse me, but who's that mean old guy behind you?" _I had asked.

I distinctively remember the look of confusion on his face before he gave me a small smile.

_"You mean the nice man in the hallway?" _he had asked, talking to me like I was mentally challenged.

_"No! The man right there, behind you! Can't you hear him yelling?" _His face fell, and I realized then that I was the only person who could see the raving lunatic in the room.

The doctor had picked up my chart and scribbled something in the margins. I knew it couldn't be good, so I tried as best as I could to cover up my earlier lapse in judgment.

_"Wait, did you say the hallway? Yeah, that's what I meant! He looks really mean, like a grumpy monster or something! Mommy says I get like that when I'm sleepy…" _I trailed off, hoping he'd brush off what I said as a little kid's rambling, the way adults usually did.

Sure enough, the doctor had smiled. _"Oh, don't worry about him. He just got some surgery done and his tummy hurts a little."_

And that was it. After that day I began to see them (what I soon realized where ghosts) _everywhere_- the grocery store, the retirement homes we visited, the park… they were everywhere, and the only way I knew what they where was if they happened to walk through something or somebody.

That night in the hospital my mother came to visit me. I greeted her when she arrived, knowing what it meant: she was a ghost too.

My life has changed radically since then. After being released from the hospital I was left in the not-so-capable hands of two bumbling social workers, who had proceeded to send me here. Everyone here was indifferent, and I found myself craving the affection I had received as a child. That was when I began speaking to my mother every night.

I slipped in through the narrow opening in the doorway and climbed into bed, the sound of the brakes screaming in my ears before I even closed my eyes.

**---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------**

**Author's Note:** So, what do you think? Press that little green button and tell me! Should I continue it? Do you hate it? Tell me!


	2. Suspicions

**Author's Note:** Hello lovelies! :D

I'm gunna try to make this as short as possible.

I'd like to thank everyone who told me to continue the story. As you can see, I listened! ;) Chapter two's gunna be a bit longer than chapter one – I'm gunna be introducing a few new characters and stuff…sorry if this chapter seems a bit dull, but I'm setting up the plot and everything. I promise the next chapter will be amazing, though!

Also, thank you to all those who subscribed to author/story alerts. I got more than 60 already!

Enjoy!

---

**Disclaimer: Steph and Christina are feeling kinda stressed out…**

Steph: *Whips calculator at wall*  
WHAT. THE. HELL! WHY THE FUCK DOESN'T 'X' EQUAL 8?! IT SHOULD EQUAL 8, DAMMIT! AND WHY DOES 'X' STAND FOR 'X', ANYWAY? DO THESE MATHMATICIANS WANT TO MAKE ME THINK MATH IS EXCITING? "Look little girl, X marks the spot! Search for the buried treasure! It's right under X!" WeLL GUESS WHAT, BUDDY! MATH ISN'T FRIGGIN TREASURE ISLAND OR SOME SHIT LIKE THAT! IT'S FRIGGIN' HOMEWORK! GET IT?

Christina: *Fearing for her life at this point*  
Oh, common Steph! Math isn't impossible, it just takes concentration!

Steph: *Calming down*  
No way! It's impossible! Like finding someone as perfect as Edward or Derek, or eating a whole tub of maple pecan ice cream, or-

Christina: You owning DP?

Steph: Yeah! Like me owning more than the plot and characters I create for this story and- HEY! WAIT A SEC!

Christina: *Smiles widely*

Steph: *Crosses arms*  
We're gunna talk about this in counseling!

* * *

**Chapter #2: Suspicions**

_The suspicious mind believes more than it doubts. It believes in a formidable and ineradicable evil lurking in every person__._

_-_Eric Hoffer

* * *

**Ten Years Old**

I was shaken awake roughly by one of the older girls.

"Chloe, the warden wants you to get up," she whispered.

I opened my eyes, wondering what the head nurse could possibly want from me. "Why? I don't have laundry duty today, do I?" I asked, still half asleep.

"No. That couple is coming in to meet you today. Remember?"

I groaned and covered my head with the pillow. I _did _remember: there was a young couple coming in to meet me today. They were in their late 20's, and according to the nurses, they were really nice people; the wife hadn't been able to get pregnant and they had decided to give in and adopt. Apparently I had sparked their interest: a little blond-haired, blue-eyed orphan who was already halfway to adulthood (they were too busy for a baby).

Amber yanked the pillow away and shook me. "Cummon, Chloe! You have to get up or the warden's gunna come up here and drag you to the showers!"

I kicked the covers off and sat up. "Gah! I'm up, I'm up! Gosh!"

She smiled mischievously. "Good. Now go get ready!"

I obeyed her orders and made my way over to the showers, stopping at the laundry room to grab a clean towel.

*******

I showered and dressed, trying my best to make myself look 'presentable'.

I still felt extremely nervous, so to calm my nerves, I locked the bathroom door and called my mother.

"Hey hun!" she said cheerily. She hugged the air around me.

"Hey mom!" I said after she released me. "Sorry about bugging you last night…"

"Don't be ridiculous, sweetie! You never bother me!"

I smiled. _What a 'mom' thing to say! _"Don't lie, mom! I know I've been kinda clingy lately."

"It's understandable, Chloe. Now, enough about that! You have that meeting with those nice people today, don't you?"

"Yeah…"

"I know you're nervous, but trust me, they really are good people; and just think: when they adopt you, you'll be out of this horrible place for good!" She smiled, as if the very thought made her day.

"Sounds great, but what if I hate it there? What if they-"

"CHLOE SAUNDERS! WHAT ARE YOU DOING IN THERE? YOU'RE MEETING IS IN LESS THAN TEN MINUTED YOUNG LADY!"

I shuddered. Ms. Van Dop, the head of staff –known as "the warden" to the children because of her shrill voice and strict military-school style rules- had probably heard me talking to my mother.

_Great. Another reason for them to think I'm crazy. It's not enough that most of the kids won't talk to me…_

"Bye mom," I whispered.

"Good luck, Chloe. I love you."

"Love you too!"

I grabbed the green plastic brush off the counter and unlocked the door, coming face-to-face with Ms. Van Dop. She had her arms crossed and was tapping her foot angrily in time to the ticking noises coming from clock in the kitchen. "What were you doing in there?" she demanded.

"Just brushing my hair," I said innocently, waving the brush in front of her face. Her eyes narrowed, and I could tell she didn't believe me.

"Get downstairs," she said finally, pointing towards the stairs.

I nodded and turned to walk away, but she grabbed my wrist and squeezed it tightly, her long spidery fingers digging into my skin. She leaned down and began to whisper in my ear. "I know you're hiding something, little girl; don't think that I don't. Your appearance may have deceived everyone else, but _I_ know there's something going on."

I shivered, the angry edge to her voice frightening me more than anything else had in the past few months. She released my wrist. "Now go."

She slammed the door, leaving me alone and shaking in the hallway. I wiped the tears away, composing myself before finally heading downstairs.

*******

It turn out the nurses hadn't been exaggerating when they told me Lauren and Andrew were really nice people.

They were in their late twenties, having been married for over 4 years now. Lauren was a doctor at the hospital and Andrew worked at a bank. Lauren reminded me of my mother in some ways – she was blond, statuesque and had a very calm demeanor. Andrew, on the other hand, looked nothing like my father - although he too loved cracking jokes and smiling.

I felt comfortable around them; I could tell they were good people.

We chatted for hours. Andrew told me funny stories about their family, Lauren jumping in and finishing his sentences whenever he lost his train of thought. _My parents used to be like that, _I remembered, the hollow feeling creeping back. I felt guilty about forgetting about them for so long while joking around with these complete strangers…

I heard laughing and turned around. Some of the children my age were crowded outside the door, watching us. Ben, a rude and obnoxious boy who – in my opinion – shouldn't have made it passed the second grade, was smirking mischievously. Something about that smirk made me feel queasy.

"Chloe, hun, are you alright? You look upset. Is something wrong?" Lauren asked.

The sound of my name interrupted my guilt-fest and my thoughts. I turned back around to face her again.

"W-what? Oh! So-sorry about that! I'm all right, I was just th-thinking about something…" I smiled to convince her further. She smiled back before proceeding.

"We've been rambling on for hours! You're probably sick of hearing our stories by now. What are some of your favourite things to do?"

"Yeah! Tell us about yourself," Andrew encouraged.

I struggled to find something that sounded like what a normal ten-year-old girl might say. "I…um…I like wa-watching m-movies," I said. Lame, but true.

"Really?" Andrew's face lit up. "I'm a movie fanatic! Lauren and I go to a movie every Saturday and Tuesday! What are some of your favourites?" he asked.

I smiled widely. _I could get used to this. _"Well, I love horror movies… I loved _The Ring _and all the really old stuff like Dracula. Those zombie and werewolf movies are my favourites, though." Andrew was practically beaming by the time I was done.

"Chloe, you are probably the coolest kid I've ever met," he said grandly. "Lauren, I think we should-

"Hey Chloe; why don't you tell them what _else _you like to do?" Ben called from the door.

My heart sank. _He wouldn't… _"Um, I…" I said pathetically.

To my absolute horror Ben strolled in and sat down next to Lauren, who looked confused. "Cummon Chloe!" He pestered. "Tell them about how you can _talk to ghosts_!

_He would._

"That's not true!" I whined, on the verge of tears.

"Yes it is! You're always locked in the bathroom, talking to someone who's not really there!" He said in a sing-song voice. A few traitorous tears escaped as I struggled to deny what he was saying.

"THAT'S ENOUGH!" Amber marched in angrily and grabbed Ben's shoulder. "Please excuse him," she said politely. "Ben hasn't taken his pills today, and he's a little cranky…" She leaned down to whisper in his ear. Whatever she said must've terrified him, because he apologized hastily and was gone by the time I was done blinking.

There was an awkward silence that stretched on for a few minutes, before finally, Andrew spoke.

"Well, now that _that's _over…" He smiled and looked over at Lauren. A silent message passed between them before he spoke again. "Chloe…how would you feel about coming to live with us?"

_Is he serious?!_

"Really? You want to adopt me?" I asked.

This time Lauren was the one to respond. "Yes! We would love it if you wanted to come live with us, but we won't force you. It's your decision. Do you want us to adopt you?" she asked gently.

"Of course!" I shrieked, jumping up out of my chair and racing over to hug them both. _I'm finally getting out of here! _I realized. _No more evil nurses and stupid boys and itchy sheets! I'm finally getting out of here!_

*******

Four months later I was in the back of Lauren's SUV, clutching the small box that contained all of my worldly possessions. The adoption process had taken longer than I'd thought, but now it was over and I was on my way to my new home.

Andrew and Lauren had visited me twice a week during it all, occasionally bringing me movies and showing me pictures of their house. Lauren had even showed me a picture of my future 'room', telling me she was having it remodeled for me, but that she wanted to keep it a surprise.

Lauren was smiling at me from the front seat while Andrew drove. I smiled nervously back, trying to rein in the way my memories from _that night _were making me feel – I wanted to scream, but something told me that wouldn't go over well.

We wove through thousands of forest- lined roads, finally arriving at a very modern-looking two-story house almost an hour later.

"We're here!" Andrew said. I was so absorbed with examining the house that I almost didn't hear him.

It looked like something straight out of a horror movie. If I was directing, I would have set this as the primary location. It was perfect – surrounded by acres of undisturbed forest, miles away from the town and other houses nearby…

"Woah," I whispered to myself.

"You like?" Andrew asked. "Most people don't approve, but I think it's great."

"It's amazing!" I agreed. He chuckled and grabbed the box from the back seat.

"Welcome home, Chloe."

---

**A/N: She's finally home! *Smiles like an idiot***

Well guys, that's chapter 2. I hope you liked it; if not….please bear with me. I promise it'll get better! Please review! (The more reviews I get, the faster I'll post the next chapter!)


	3. Fear

**Author's Note**: Hey guys! Happy Thanksgiving weekend to all my fellow Canadians, just cause we rock :D

Thank you to everyone who reviewed last chapter! You guys were the only people out of the 177 who read chapter 2 to review, so you have officially earned my love! To all those who didn't: I'm not gunna demand reviews, but if you guys want a double update this weekend (it's a long weekend for me and I really want to finish writing the next couple of chapters) then I would appreciate at least 20 :)

And in other news: I just bought _Stolen_ and really want to read it. Has anyone read any of the Otherworld books yet? And if so, could you please explain the order of the books to me? I'm completely and utterly lost :(

That's it for today! Enjoy!

---

**Disclaimer: Steph and Christina are relaxing after a long week at school. Steph is writing her updates and Christina is lounging on her bed.**

Christina: *Buries face in pillow*  
School was horrible this week! I was gunna kill my English teacher! She added my marks wrong and it seemed like I lost ten points!

Steph: *Not paying attention*  
Awww, really? That sucks! By the way, can you write me a disclaimer for chapter 3? I have no ideas whatsoever!

Christina: No way, man! This is my weekend to relax! Write your own disclaimers!

Steph: I can't! I have no ideas! How am I supposed to make my readers laugh while at the same time explaining that I don't own DP, and that I only own the plot and characters I create for TBWTEE?!

Christina: *Groans*  
Well, first start off with a weird story about us like you usually do…

Steph: Yeah…?

Christina: And then create some sort of silly / funny conflict…

Steph: *Typing away and smiling*  
Mhmmm…?

Christina: Then you include the disclaimer part of the disclaimer…

Steph: *Still not paying attention*  
Disclaimer, gotcha. Sooooo…. what's the deal with 'staches lately?

Christina: You just turned this conversation into a disclaimer, didn't you?

Steph: *Hangs head*  
What gave me away? Was it 'stache?

Christina: Generally, yeah.

---

**Chapter #3: Fear**

"The only thing we have to fear is fear it'self - nameless, unreasoning,  
unjustified, terror which paralyzes needed efforts to convert retreat into advance."  
**- FDR - First Inaugural Address**

*******

**Ten Years Old**

Lauren showed me to my room after giving me a guided tour of the rest of the house.

"Here we are," she announced excitedly. "This is your room, Chloe." She opened the door and waited for me to enter.

I was a little bit overwhelmed by the sight my eyes met with. If I had to describe it using only two words, they would be 'pink' and 'frilly'. There was pink _everywhere: _a bright pink canopy bed with pink curtains, pink and white striped walls, white and pink furniture – it was pinker than what I imagined the barf of the kid on the double bubble wrappers looked like!

The whole general effect was a bit too much for me. Being a bit of a tomboy, I would have preferred Godzilla posters and red or blue walls; but I wasn't going to let Lauren know that. It was obvious she had worked really hard on the room and I wasn't going to act like an ungrateful brat after everything she'd done for me.

"So, do you like it?" she asked anxiously.

"I LOVE it!" I lied. "Thank you so so much!" I hugged her tightly before running over to the bed and collapsing on top of it.

She laughed. "Well, I'll leave so you can get unpacked. Would you…like to help me make dinner later?" she ventured.

"Definitely!" I practically shouted as I sat up.

She smiled. "Okay, I'll come get you when it's time. Call me if you need any help! "

"Kay!" She left the room, whistling tunelessly as she went. I got up off the bed and crossed the length of the room to the window, which was being shielded by floor to ceiling curtains. I wanted to see if my room had a view, so I pulled back the curtains.

I gasped loudly.

Instead of just a window, I was met with two French doors. I stared at them for a moment, transfixed by the intricate designs on the glass before turning the knob and pushing the doors open.

Needless to say, my room _definitely _had a view. It opened up into a rather large backyard which was surrounded by dense forest. There was a pool too, but somehow Lauren (I was sure it was her) had made it seem like it had been there all along, integrating it into the scenery perfectly.

I stood there for a few minutes, soaking it all in. When I was done I headed inside again and laid down on my new bed.

As I lay there on that unnecessarily plushy bed the reality of what was happening finally set in: I was going to be living with these people for the rest of my life. There was no turning back now.

My conscience took control after that, fabricating some interesting theories.

_What if their niceness was all just an act? What if they're sadistic serial killers who torture children in their spare time? What if-_

"Don't be stupid!" I murmured to myself. "Lauren and Andrew are great! You know they'd never do anything like that and you know they'd do anything for you!"

I never got an answer. My inner voice was silent after that, and I desperately needed someone to talk to, so I decided to call my mother.

I shut the door and threw my bag down onto the floor, climbing back onto the bed and crossing my legs. I concentrated hard for a few minutes, opening my eyes when she said my name.

"Chloe?" she said anxiously. The look on my mother's face turned my stomach and effectively erased any traces of my good mood.

"Mom? What's wrong?" I asked, terrified of the answer. "Is everything all right?" I questioned, even though everything was obviously _not _all right.

"Chloe, sweetie, I want you to be careful. Something's happening- I'm not sure yet, but I don't think it's going to be a good thing."

"Is it about Andrew and Lauren?" I felt the same way I had all those months ago when Ms. Van Dop threatened me in the hall. "Are they hiding something?"

"No, no. It's not them. There's something else – I don't know much about it, but I want you to promise me you'll wear your necklace and be careful!"

"I promise, mom. But I still don't understand! What's going on, and how does it involve me?"

"Chloe, it has to do with your father's and my deaths. It was all planned, every single detail, and now-"

I was beginning to hyperventilate at that point. _Someone planned to kill my parents? It wasn't an accident?_

"Mom, are you sure about this? How did you-"

"Chloe?"

I whipped my head around. There, standing in the doorway was Lauren, looking scared, confused and worried.

She had definitely heard me.

"I…, um…" I struggled to formulate a plausible explanation as to why I was talking to my deceased mother, but everything I could come up with sounded both crazy and impossible.

"I…" She paused. "…came to see could use your help in the kitchen now, unless you're too tired…?" She smiled nervously, signaling that I should drop it.

I was shocked and slightly confused. Was she really going to pretend that none of it ever happened?

There were a few silent moments as I debated what to do in my head. _Should I pretend nothing's going on, or should I try to explain?_

Finally, I decided to follow Lauren's lead and pretend nothing had taken place. We walked to the kitchen together, the tension thickening the air so much it was almost impossible to breathe.

*******

Life was relatively uneventful after that. I adjusted to life with Lauren and Andrew pretty quickly, the incident with Lauren having been forgotten soon after it occurred. Everything was going well, except for…

My mother's warning still haunted both my waking mind and my dreams, making me more jumpy and anxious than usual.

My mother was no help, either. Every time I tried to ask her about it she would disappear suddenly. She told me she wasn't allowed to tell me anything about it, and every time she tried she got yanked back into the spirit world by someone… or _something_.

I felt completely and utterly alone.

*******

I shot up in bed, hearing a loud bang and movement outside my window. _What was that?! _I wondered anxiously. _What could possibly be making that noise?! _To make matters worse, my mother's words began replaying inside my head again, effectively sending chills down my spine.

_"It was all planned, every single detail, and now-"_

_And now, what? _I wondered. _Am I next?_

I strained to listen. Barely audible splashing noises were coming from outside my doors. A few moments later I heard footsteps, followed by a muffled sneeze.

_There's someone out there! _I realized. _The same people who killed my parents are outside my door right now and they're going to come in here and kill me!_

My first instinct was to bolt out of my room and into Lauren and Andrew's room to wake them up, screaming the whole way. I was halfway out of my bed before it hit me: _if these people are here for me, then dragging Lauren and Andrew into this wouldn't be fair to them, would it?_

I went back to my bed and sat down, ignoring the protests from my inner voice. _Are you stupid?!,_ it asked. _You're just going to sit here and let them take you?! Are you really that much of a coward?_

_No, I'm not, _I spat back._ I'm going to be brave and march out there and see what's going on. _I don't know where my resolve came from, but as soon as the idea popped into my head I knew I would have to face these people alone. I took a deep breath and climbed off my bed.

I had left the curtains drawn back, allowing the moonlight to flood into my room through the glass doors. I regretted that decision now, knowing whoever was out there had probably been watching me all night long.

I peered through the glass, hoping to catch a glimpse of whoever or whatever was lurking outside my window. I gave up after a few minutes of searching, turning my attention to the door again.

I closed my eyes and turned the knob.

*******

I had been standing on the balcony for almost 20 minutes and nothing had happened.

Nothing: no movement, no noises, no bogeymen jumping out and shouting 'boo'…

Nothing.

_Could I have been imagining it? Hearing things?_

_Probably._

I made my way inside again, tired and put out. I climbed into bed again, ashamed of my behavior, but glad that I hadn't woken up Andrew or Lauren – I would have been even more embarrassed having them with me as I stood outside on the balcony like an idiot…

_Why did I get so worked up over nothing? There's obviously no one out there; if there was I'd be long gone by now…_

I reached down and pulled my blanket back up over my legs. I closed my eyes tightly and waited for sleep to catch up with me.

Half an hour later I was still lying flat on my back, studying the ceiling tiles and unable to fall asleep. It seemed that no matter how hard I tried I couldn't let my guard down enough to allow myself to drift off. I turned my head to face the window again, remembering the sounds I had thought I had heard. _Could that really all have been in my head?_

I looked at the doors again and shuddered. _I _couldn't _have imagined it all, could I?_

As if responding to my question, a wolf howled from somewhere in the woods.

Without sparing another second to think, I catapulted out of bed and shut the curtains. I ran back to my bed and laid down again, pulling the covers up over my head and shutting my eyes tightly, willing sleep to come.

*******

The next few days were hell.

I was pretty sure I was becoming paranoid. I was acutely aware of every sound outside my window at night, and the only thing jumpier than me would have been a bounce-house.

Although I had only been living with them for a little over a week, I knew Lauren and Andrew could tell something was wrong - Andrew had taken me to a movie one day while Lauren was working and brought it up while we were in the car.

"What's wrong, kiddo? You seem kinda anxious lately; Lauren and I are worried about you. You know you can tell us if something's bothering you…"

I sighed. No matter how much they cared about me, I knew that the moment I told them I could talk to ghosts I'd be back at the orphanage so fast I wouldn't even have time to blink.

"I'm fine, really. I just watched a really scary show the other day, and…"

Andrew smiled. "And you didn't want to tell us because Lauren would insist I cut you off from all things horror. Been there, done that! Although _my _mom kinda figured it out after I asked to sleep next to her and my dad for a week…WITH nightlights!" I giggled; even if the story wasn't relevant to what I was going through, it still made me feel better somehow.

That night – the fifth night I had been woken up by sounds outside my window – I'd decided that I'd had enough.

I grabbed the necklace my mom had given me out of my jewelry box and put it on, tucking the red pendant inside the collar of my shirt. My mom had given it to me on my tenth birthday, telling me that if I kept it safe, it would keep _me _safe. I never asked her about it, but it reminded me of her, and if I was going to die tonight, I wanted to have it with me.

I opened the door slowly and stepped outside onto the balcony. Despite the fact that it was July there was still a bit of a bite to the air that made me wish I'd stop to grab a jacket on my way out.

I began descending the stairs that led from my balcony to the pool area, while at the same time watching the edge of the tree-line for any signs of movement.

That's probably why I fell – all klutzes know that the number one way to avoid accidents is to never attempt to multi-task.

I tumbled down the remaining few steps, landing flat on my back next to some sort of flowery bush. "Ouch!" I groaned, while attempting to sit up.

That's when I heard it: a giggle.

I nearly got up and ran back to the house. _There's definitely someone there! _I realized. _And they're laughing at me._

That did it.

"Hey! I can hear you back there!" I shouted. I heard a gasp and stood up. "Yeah, you! The people who've been watching me since I got here! Who do you think you are, watching me through my window every night?" I began marching towards the trees, following the sounds of a muffled panicked conversation. "Why can't you just leave me alone? You already killed my parents! What do you want with me?" I demanded.

A voice replied from behind one of the trees. "We never killed anyone, I swear!"

_Huh? _The voice sounded like it belonged to someone my age – it was too high to be an adult's. _Could these killers have some sort of way to disguise their voices? _I wondered.

I backed up a bit and pointed to the ground ten feet in front of me. "Show yourselves!" I yelled, trying to sound authoritative.

More panicked whispers, then…

A little boy stepped out from behind the trees, pulling another older boy by his arm. The younger boy had distinctively Asian features which greatly contrasted with his bleach-blond hair, but he was smiling widely and looked like someone who everyone was friends with.

The other boy was something else entirely. He had a spill of dark brown – almost black – hair, and looked the epitome of a mystery. The other boy was smiling widely, but _he_ looked as if he would rather be anywhere but where he was standing at that moment. I studied his face, trying to figure out whether he was angry or just scared. His cheeks were tinted red; was he…_blushing_?

The two boys came closer, the blond one coming to rest a few feet in front of me… I almost didn't notice.

The older boy's had raised his gaze and met mine. I gasped loudly when I saw his eyes – they were a beautiful electric green, almost _too _green, like emeralds; I had never seen anything like them before.

The image of those eyes staring at me that night would be permanently tattooed on my brain for years to come.

The younger boy stuck his hand out. "Hi," he said cheerfully. "My name's Simon, and this is my brother Derek." The older boy dropped his gaze again, and his brother continued. "Wanna be friends?"

**A/N: *Dangles early update in front of screen and talks like an idiot *  
Ya want it? Ya want it? Then go review, go review! :P **

**Anyways, what'd you think? Did you like it? Please review! I'm a very lonely person! :'(**


	4. Truth

**Author's Note**: Hello darlings!

I wanted to post this on Sunday, but I remembered Saturday night that I had an essay and a lab due Monday, then I got 'sick' Monday night (you know what I mean by those quotation marks, right?)… Anyways, sorry about the lateness guys! It's been a crazy week! I know it's all my fault for not posting earlier, so please, feel free to throw stones at your own discretion (none to the head please!)

Anyways…I've sent this out in a few review replies, but for those of you who didn't review last chapter: you guys can add me on twitter! If you do, you'll get teasers for every chapter and access to outtakes to both _The Boy With The Emerald Eyes_ AND _The Finding_! If you want to add me, it's sch _ 94 (remove the spaces!). Add me! I usually only take an hour to reply, based on where you live.

I have a little story for you guys: I was treated really rudely by a teacher (the organizer of the award ceremony at my school) when I went to go pick up an award the other day (I missed the ceremony because I was sick). She told me that in order to be able to receive my award, I had to write a letter detailing why I wasn't able to attend, and being the wimp I am, I did what she said. Now, you're probably wondering why I told this story… My parents and the lovely Christina thought I should've b****'d her out right there and then and taken my award ("You had a right to take what was yours, Steph!"), but I wanted to handle it peacefully and without conflict. My question to you is this: how would you have handled it? Now that the issue is resolved, what would you have done? Do _you_ think I should've fought harder?

Anyways, that's it for this week. Enjoy the incredibly long chapter (and incredibly adorable 10 year old Simon)!

---

**This week's disclaimer is a co-lab between Christina and I! :)**

**Disclaimer:** The girls are relaxing in Christina's room. Steph is jotting down ideas for updates and Christina is reading one of many fanfiction updates.

Steph: Christina, your reviews and disclaimers are always so funny. We should do that commentary thing like in Twilight where I write a paragraph and you comment on every single one.

Christina: *Looks up from laptop*  
Sounds like a plan! Hey, I just finished your update, and I'm wondering…are you going to have Chloe, Derek, and Simon skinny dipping at any point in the story?

Steph: *Confused*  
Skinny…? They're only ten!

Christina: *Getting excited now*  
Oh, and can I run in naked from the forest and join in on the fun? Like that one oily guy from Family Guy? You know Simon will be happy to see me!  
*Raises eyebrows suggestively*

Steph: *At a loss for words*  
So you're suggesting that I should include child pornography AND indecent exposure of Christina in my story…? The one where I own the plot and the characters I dream up?

Christina: *Smiles*  
Yep!

Steph: *Puts down pen*  
I think it's time to discuss returning to therapy, Christina. Obviously your treatments aren't working yet.

Christina: *Scared now*  
No, no! I was only joking!

Steph: *Gets up and begins to drag Christina out the door*  
Sure you were! Now, common! We're going to go talk to those nice men in the white coats.

Christina: *Shudders*  
But I don't like them! They have cold hands!

---

**Chapter #4: Truth**

_The worst lies are the lies we tell ourselves._

_-_Richard Bach

---

**Ten Years Old**

There were a few tense moments as I stood there, without moving and without speaking. Simon kept his hand outstretched the entire time, clearing his throat and speaking after he realized I wasn't going to respond any time soon.

"Whadda ya say, Chloe? Wanna be friends?" he asked eagerly.

The sound of my name shocked me out of my revere. "How do you know my name?" I demanded, crossing my arms.

"Well, uh…Derek told me," he admitted, pointing at his brother for clarification. I stared at the other boy, who immediately blushed crimson.

"But how did _he_ know my name?" I asked. "And does he _always _blush like that?" I added as an afterthought.

Derek's face turned a deeper shade of red.

Simon's little face scrunched up in confusion. "Umm…I don't know. He's usually never like this…" Simon turned around to face his brother and waved his arm in front of Derek's red face. "Hey Derek, you feelin' alright, bro?"

Derek grumbled something unintelligible.

"What?" Simon asked loudly, sounding like someone who was hard of hearing. "Louder, Derek! Chloe and me can't hear you!"

Derek rolled his eyes and grumbled something, louder this time. "I _said, _I don't like this, Simon. I think we should leave now."

Simon looked crushed. "Aww, common Derek! We just got here! We haven't even played with Chloe yet!" he whined. "Please Derek, can we stay?"

Derek looked thoughtful for a moment. "Ask _her_," he said, pointing at me.

Simon whirled around to face me. "Chloe?" he asked hopefully. "Can we stay?"

I bit my lip; I hadn't thought Simon's brother would agree to let them stay, and I hadn't prepared an excuse for them not to…

I decided to be blatantly honest. "I don't think that'd be a good idea…" I trailed off at the end, seeing Simon's hurt expression. I felt bad for upsetting him – upsetting Simon was probably really hard to do, judging by his cheery disposition - and I didn't want to add that to my list of things to feel guilty for.

I sighed. "Okay, fine; but on one condition: you guys have to tell me why the heck you're here!"

Simon beamed. "Deal!" he exclaimed, turning to Derek. His smile vanished. "I mean…is that okay, Derek? 'Cause if it's not-"

Derek looked defeated – apparently he hadn't thought I'd say yes either. "Fine," he sighed.

"Awesome!" Simon smiled with all his teeth. "So, what do you wanna do?"

"Can we talk first?" I asked eagerly.

Simon's smile wavered. "Actually….can I use your bathroom first? I _really_ needa pee…"

*******

I led Simon into my room, pointing towards the door of the adjoining bathroom. "In there," I whispered. "Be quiet though, I don't want Lauren and Andrew to wake up!"

He nodded and scurried in, closing the door behind him. I turned around-

-and almost collided with Derek, who was standing in the center of my room with his arms folded across his chest.

"I'm so sorry!" I hastily apologized, although I knew it was _his _fault for standing so close to me. He grumbled something and backed up until he was able to lean against the wall.

We just stood there like that for a while. If I was being completely honest, I would probably peg it as one of the most awkward moments of my whole life...

"So…it's Derek, right?" I asked, attempting to clear some of the tension from the air. "That's an… _interesting_ name."

He looked up from the floor and starred at me with indifference. "Not really," he said bluntly before returning his gaze to the hardwood floor.

I groaned inwardly and rolled my eyes. _After a week of loneliness, this is what I get? A mute?!_

"Okaaaaay…" I said, emphasizing the 'a'. "What are some of your favourite things to do?"

He didn't respond. I waited a while and tried again, louder this time. "What are some of your favourite things to do?"

I was sure he was ignoring me purposely. He didn't answer; just crossed his arms again and turned to face the window.

I sighed. "Are you _always _this rude?" I demanded.

I looked over in time to catch the flicker of a smile that crossed his lips. "Only on weekdays."

I covered my mouth with my hand to stifle my laughter. He seemed to relax. "So this is your room?" he said suddenly. "It's very…"

"Pink?" I offered. He chewed the inside of his cheek nervously and nodded slowly. "Not that there's anything _wrong _with that," he added.

"No, I know what you mean. I don't really like it either, but Lauren – she's the lady who adopted me – worked really hard on it, and I-"

"And you didn't want to seem like an ungrateful brat?" he finished. I nodded somberly.

"That's pretty noble of you," he continued, sounding surprised. "Most kids wouldn't think twice before whining to their parents."

"I'm not like most kids," I admitted sadly.

He pursed his lips and looked at his shoes. "You have no idea," he mumbled.

It was my turn to blush then. I turned to face the wall beside my bed to hide my inflamed cheeks. "Your brother is taking a really long time!" I mused, in a desperate attempt to change the subject.

"He's probably captivated by the decorative soaps."

I giggled. Somehow his serious tone, combined with his impressive vocabulary made everything funnier. "You don't talk like a ten year old," I accused.

"That's because I'm not ten. I'm 11," he said gravely, as if he was admitting he had some sort of terminal illness.

"Oh…" The awkward silence returned, but thankfully – not much later – so did Simon.

"Are you guys friends yet?" he asked fervently. He turned towards me. "I was giving you extra time 'cause Derek can be kinda grumpy sometimes," he whispered. "Did it help?"

"Um…I can't say for sure," I whispered back.

Simon frowned and turned to his brother. "Can we tell her now Derek?"

"Simon!" Derek hissed.

"Tell me what, exactly?"

They continued to argue, ignoring my question.

"What? She wants to know why we're here!" Simon rationalized.

"That doesn't mean we have to tell her!" Derek retorted angrily.

"What are you two talking about?!"

"That's not fair, Derek! We can't just leave without telling her!"

"Yes we can! We can leave right now and never come back and she can go back to living her life like a normal person!"

"Hellooooo? Would you mind telling me what you're talking about?"

"But she's _not_ normal! Someday someone's gunna find out, and then they'll come and take her away and it'll be all our faults!" Simon was practically in tears by this point, and I'd decided I'd had enough.

"WHAT'S GOING ON?!" I demanded, pushing them back out into the backyard so I didn't have to whisper. "What's Simon talking about?"

"Nothing!"

"Oh yeah? Tell me right now or I'll go wake up Lauren and Andrew!" Derek looked shocked by my threat; Simon looked triumphant.

"You're bluffing!"

"Wanna bet?"

I turned towards the door and began making my way towards it.

Something caught my arm. "Ow!" I shrieked, wheeling around and coming face to face with Derek. "Lemme go!" I whined. Simon was watching the scene from off to the side, looking horrified at his brother's actions.

Derek released me immediately. "Do you really want to know?" he asked, his tone business-like. "Because once you know, your whole life's gunna be different. Everything's gunna change."

_More than it has already? _I wondered. _Not possible._

"I don't care! Tell me what you're talking about, right now!"

"I don't need to tell you anything. You already _know _what I'm talking about."

_Say what?_

"Think, Chloe. Isn't there something different about you? Something that makes you different from everyone else?" he prodded.

"N-no…I'm j-just a n-normal k-kid" I shut my mouth quickly; the hairs on the back of my neck were standing up.

_Wait! He couldn't be talking about-_

"Normal?" he chuckled darkly. "Oh, you're normal all right!"

"Yes, but apparently you _aren't. _What's your problem?" I asked rhetorically.

He ignored my comment completely. "You can talk to ghosts, can't you, Chloe?"

My heart sank.

"Chloe?"

"Y-you're cr-crazy!" I practically shouted.

"Der-ek! You're saying it all wrong! It's like this!" Simon whined. He pushed Derek out of the way and stood directly in front of me regally.

"Chloe, you probably don't know this, but you're real special," he said enthusiastically. "But don't worry! Me and Derek are special too! We-"

"I already told your brother, Simon: I can't talk to ghosts or whatever else you think I can do!" I said impatiently.

"Cummon Chloe! We've seen you talking to _nobody_! Either you can talk to ghosts or you're kookier than… that bird who loves coco puffs!"

"You've seen me…?"

"Yep! You were just sittin' there, talking to something in front of the wall, and-"

"Hold on a sec! You guys were _spying _on me, and you're calling _me _the crazy one?!"

Simon became flustered. "It was an accident the first time, I swear!"

"The _first _time? How many times were there?!"

"Simon!" Derek barked. "Don't you dare answer that!"

I shot Derek the dirtiest glare I could muster up. "Here's what's going to happen," I said authoritatively, though my nerves were beyond frayed. "You're going to sit down and tell me exactly what's going on here. Start from the beginning."

*******

Something in my voice must've convinced Derek I meant business, because he did exactly what I'd told him to… _without_ arguing.

We sat on some of the smaller boulders that surrounded the pool, getting as comfortable as we could on the overgrown stones. Once we were content with our positions, Derek took a deep breath and began telling the story.

"Simon and I are homeschooled; we have been all of our lives. Our dad didn't want us to be listed in any school systems so we'd be harder to track down. We-"

"Track down? Wait, why would someone be trying to track _you_ down?"

"Don't interrupt! I'm trying to tell the story!"

"Sorry. Continue, I guess."

"Okay. We've been homeschooled all of our lives, and we've also been living in this area since we were really little, so it's really hard to find other kids our age to talk to."

I nodded sympathetically. _Understandable, I guess. I'm already lonely, and it's only been a week!_

"Well, two weeks ago we were playing in our front yard and saw a van drive past our house, heading deeper into the forest. There was a kid inside, and we got excited because another kid nearby meant a new friend."

"That other kid was me, right?"

"Yes; so we decided to follow the van. We knew the only house deeper in the forest was this one, so we cut through the forest behind our backyard and walked until we reached yours."

"That's really dangerous, though! You might've been attacked by something, like a bear, or a snake, or a wolf!"

"Yeah, well…"

"Derek would've protected me!" Simon interjected. I almost jumped at the sound of his voice – I had almost forgotten he was there. "Anyways, after we left the forest, we were gunna cross into your front yard and ring the doorbell and ask to play with you…"

"Why didn't you?" I asked.

"That was when we saw you talking to the wall!" Simon said with a crooked smile. I cringed – I had been so absorbed in Derek's story that I'd forgotten about their early accusations. "After he realized what you were doing, Derek said that we had to wait before we could make friends with you. He said he needed to figure out what to do about you."

"Did he, now?" I turned to Derek. "So, have you figured out what to 'do about me' yet?" I asked angrily. "Or were you just gunna keep coming back to make fun of the crazy girl who talks to herself?"

"Not necessarily. We were trying to figure out if you were one of us," he said calmly.

"That's a lie!" I spat.

"No, it's not. Trust me, I have better things to do than sit here every day and watch you talk to ghosts."

"I do not talk to ghost!"

"Yes, you do."

"No I don't!"

"Don't bother denying it. You said these people adopted you, right? What happened to your parents?"

"T-they-"

"They're dead, yet I heard you talking to your mother the other day. Are you gunna deny that, too?"

I stood up and hopped off the boulder. "I don't have to take this from you!" I called. "My parents taught me to ignore bullies, and that's what you are mister!"

"I'm not a bully, I'm just trying to help you. Don't be such a baby!"

"I am NOT a baby!"

"And I'm not a bully. You, on the other hand, are a girl who talks to ghosts-"

"And you're a mean jerk!" I stomped off, heading towards the forest boundary. Derek and Simon caught up to me within minutes.

"Stop being so overdramatic! It's not like you're the only one! Simon's a sorcerer, but you don't see him complaining!"

I sighed and came to a halt near an old maple tree. "I'm sure Simon's a…_sorcerer_? Like a wizard? I'm guessing he probably casts spells and hangs out with Ron and Hermione too, right?"

Derek groaned. "I'm not talking about some Harry Potter wannabe!" he said with an air of frustration.

"Frankly, I don't _care_ what you're talking about! I don't believe anything you're saying, so you might as well just leave."

"Show her, Simon."

I turned to leave. Derek matched his stride with mine, while Simon hung back. "Just let us show you! Then-"

"No! You guys are gunna leave right now and never come back, or I'll tell Lauren and Andrew, and they'll tell your dad on you!" I finished smugly.

"Chloe, look!" Simon squeaked from behind me.

"No, I'm sorry Simon, but you and your brother are going to have to leave."

"Der-ek!" Simon whined from behind me.

"Just look, would you?!" Derek pleaded angrily.

"JUST LEAVE ALREADY!" I shouted.

"LOOK!" he shouted right back.

I thrust my fists down at my sides. "For God's sakes, WHAT?!"

I turned around, expecting to come face-to-face with Simon…

Simon was levitating a pool toy.

"W-what t-the -"

"See Chloe? We were telling the truth!" Simon said. His face was scrunched up in concentration, his eyebrows knotting together due to the strain.

"Y-you can st-stop n-now Simon, I believe y-you."

The toy immediately fell to the ground. I stared at it, still recovering from the shock.

" You believe us now," Derek said, stating it rather than asking.

"Y-yes, I b-believe you."

"Are you gunna tell us about what you can do?"

"Y-yes."

"Are you about to throw up?" he asked knowingly.

"Yes."

**---**

**A/N: And there you have it guys! Chapter 4, a little later than expected. How do you feel about this chapter? Be sure to tell me :) If I get 20 reviews before Thursday night, I'll post the next chapter on Sunday. That's a good deal, right?**

**Also, to those who are going to add me on twitter: check it Wednesday night! I'll be posting a link to the teaser for chapter 5 :D**


	5. Discoveries

**Author's Note**: Haaaaaye ladies!

I know I just posted on Tuesday, but you guys gave me such nice reviews and amazing feedback, and updating early is my way of thanking all of you lovely ladies :) I'd like to give a special shoutout to burning, agony-fairy, freyaswrath and Jessika_XoXo for sending me random messages and being the first to add me on twitter. You girls are awesome!

Last chapter was uber long (16 pages on MS Word!) and I'm aiming for that same length for the next few chapters as well, so updates might come a bit slower than usual… on the bright side, you now get teasers (those of you who added me…if you don't have twitter, you can PM me for the link to my livejournal, but please leave comments after reading! My livejournal is looking quite sad and lonely.)Anyways, the next few chapters are sort of a transition period. They might not be that interesting, but they're instrumental in setting up the rest of the story, so bear with me please! Each chapter will talk a bit about what happened in the previous year, and it'll continue until Chloe is 15. This chapter Chloe is 11.

By the way... I'm watching Criminal Minds right now, so if the chapter starts to suck, blame Reid's adorable genius-ness for distracting me. XD

Anyways, I think that's it for now. ..Enjoy!

----

**It's just lil' ol' me this week guys!**

**Disclaimer:** The following conversation occurred inside Christina and Steph's yearbooks.

Steph: _Christina,  
There is so much stuff I could put in here, but I think you need room for the rest of your friends, so I'll sum it all up in one word:  
'stache.  
-Love Steph_

Christina: _Steph,  
You're right- 'stache about covers everything-except the fact that you don't own DP.  
Love, Christina_

Steph: _Christina,  
You are correct – I do not own DP. I do however own the plot and characters I create for my story, which means no one can copy me. EVER. Got me?  
-Love Steph_

Christina: _Steph,  
Go away.  
Love, Christina_

Steph: _Christina,  
Fine, but we will be talking about this later.  
-Love Steph  
PS. I waxed my 'stache. TAKE THAT YOU HAIRY WILLABEAST!_

**NOTE TO READER: NO WILLABEASTS OR 'STACHES WERE HARMED IN THE MAKING OF THIS DISCLAIMER!**

---

**Discoveries**

Man never knows what he wants; he aspires to penetrate mysteries and as soon as he has,  
he wants to reestablish them. Ignorance irritates him and knowledge cloys.  
-Amiel, _Journal_, 1884

Eleven Years Old

Five months after our first late-night encounter, Simon and I were laying on our backs in my backyard, watching for shooting stars. It was my birthday, and the boys had come over a little earlier than usual to celebrate with me.

Simon and Derek had been visiting me twice a week every week since that night. They explained to me that they had been doing research in their father's extensive library, and they had discovered that there was a name for what I was: _necromancer._

_"What do you mean, necromancer?" I had asked._

_"Well, the formal definition is Greek in origin and means "one who practices a method of divination through alleged communication with the astral realm."_

_"Huh?"_

_Derek rolled his eyes. "You can talk to dead people," he simplified._

_"Ohhhhh! Well, did it say in your Dad's book if I can do anything else? Something exciting maybe?"_

_He frowned. "You can talk to dead people…and you don't think that's 'exciting'?_

_I had shrugged. "To be honest with you, it's getting kinda old."_

He had laughed then. I remembered it clearly, having been in such a state of shock that when I realized it was a probably a rare occurrence that I almost didn't have time to treasure the moment.

"Chloe, whatcha thinkin' about?" Simon asked from beside me.

"Nothing really…where did Derek say he was going again?"

"He wanted me to tell you that he was going back to get my dad's book, but he's really just grabbing your present," he said, a mischievous smile plastered on his face.

"Simon! You guys said you wouldn't get me anything! How am I supposed to explain it to Lauren when she asks where I got whatever it is?"

Simon smiled. "Don't worry Chloe! We made sure to get you something she would never notice."

"Oh…By the way, when are you and Derek's birthdays, Simon? I wanna make sure I save up enough to get you guys really good presents!"

"Well, mine's August 29th, and Derek's is April…13th?" He bit his lip anxiously. "Yeah, that's it!"

"I'll remember that," I promised.

"I think we should spend all of our birthdays together like this. What do you think, Chloe?"

"I'd like that, Simon."

We sat in silence for a while, but being alone with Simon was an opportunity to get some of my most burning questions answered, and I wasn't going to pass that up.

I sat up. "Simon, are you and Derek really brothers?"

"We don't have the same mom and dad, but we're real brothers," he said confidently.

"Oh…was he adopted like me?"

"I guess you could say that; my dad took him from someplace really bad and brought him home. He's lived with us ever since I was real little," he explained.

"That was really nice of your dad," I said softly.

"Yeah, I'm glad he did it. I can't imagine not having Derek as a brother; he's one of my best friends."

"One of them? Who's your other best friend?" I asked.

Simon rolled his eyes. "You, silly!"

"Oh!" I laughed and Simon reached over to tickle me.

"Can't! Breathe!" I choked out between giggles. He stopped and laid back down. I was about to mimic his actions when something occurred to me.

"Simon, you're a sorcerer, right?"

"Yep."

"That night you guys first came to visit me, Derek said you didn't talk to me because he wanted to find out if I was "one of you", right?"

"Yeah…?"

"Simon, what's Derek?"

Simon bit his lip again.

"Simon?" I repeated.

"Derek doesn't want me to tell you," he admitted gravely.

"Why not?"

"He thinks you'll freak out or something."

"But I won't!" I assured him. Simon looked terrified. "Simon, what is it?" I asked again.

"He's-"

"SIMON! You weren't supposed to tell her!"

Simon and I both jumped – we hadn't heard Derek return.

"He ruined the surprise, didn't he?" Derek asked, looking me straight in the eyes.

"Wh-what?"

"He told you about the present, didn't he?"

"N-no! He d-didn't! H-he just t-told me wh-where you were g-going!" I struggled to spit it out while attempting to calm my erratic heartbeats.

"Oh, okay." Derek handed me a flat package wrapped carefully in shiny pink wrapping paper. "Happy birthday, Chloe."

"Thanks guys!" I carefully unwrapped the present, trying to save as much of the shiny paper as I could. I gasped loudly when I saw what it was.

"Woah! This is perfect! Thank you so much, guys!" I flipped through the creamy white pages of the journal, stroking the light blue cover gently.

Simon beamed. "You like it? Really?" Simon asked.

"I love it!" I squealed. I hugged Simon tightly and turned to Derek. I hugged him too before I realized what I was doing – something I wouldn't have done under normal circumstances. Derek was a strictly courteous-nod-only type of person…

I was genuinely surprised when he hugged me back. He pulled away quickly, and I could swear he was blushing again…

"There he goes again! Are you sure you're okay, bro?" Simon asked, concerned. "We could ask dad about it, it could have something to do with-"

Derek coughed and cleared his throat. "Ugh, no, I'm… okay." He turned around, pulled a book out of his backpack and began flipping through the pages.

"So Chloe, whatcha gunna use your present for?" Simon asked.

"I'm not quite sure yet… I was thinking of writing my movie ideas in it, but I could also use it as a journal or something…"

"How about both?" Simon suggested.

"What do you mean?"

"You could make a movie out of your life! A lot of famous people do it, but they call it something else…"

"You mean like a documentary?"

"Yeah, that!"

"That's a really good idea, Simon, but I'm not sure my life would make a good movie. I-" I shut my mouth, realizing the irony associated with what I was saying. "Never mind; it's a great idea! Thank you Simon!"

"No problem." He turned to his brother. "So, Derek, what are you gunna wish for if you see a shooting star? Chloe and I haven't seen any yet…"

Derek opened his mouth to respond but closed it quickly. He thought it over for a moment, then, "it won't come true if I tell you, Simon. You know that."

Simon's face fell. "Oh… sorry Derek."

"Don't worry about it. So… how're things with your mom, Chloe?" Derek asked, talking to me for the first time since he had handed me the present. I had waited a while to tell Simon and Derek about my mother's warnings – I didn't want to scare them if it was unnecessary – and ever since then, Derek had been sure to ask me about how things were going whenever he came to visit.

"Um…n-not gr-great. Things have b-been…well, h-horrible."

"Why? Did your mom tell you anything new? Did Lauren and Andrew catch you? "

"N-no, she d-didn't give me any n-new information, and no they di-didn't… but I can t-tell they suspect something; I h-hear them whispering s-sometimes, and it… scares me."

"Why?" Simon asked, confused.

"I d-don't want them to s-send me b-back," I murmured. They stared at me, the same horrified expression on both of their faces.

"Chloe! You know they'd never do that!" Derek scolded.

"Don't worry Chloe! If they try to send you back there you can come live with us!" Simon interjected.

"Really Simon?"

"Definitely! Right Derek?"

"You're getting ahead of yourselves! We have no proof that they're even suspicious of anything!"

"But they were whispering-"

"That doesn't matter, Chloe. We have to look at this logically – if you don't want Lauren and Andrew to be suspicious, you have to get rid of any reason for them to be."

"But how?"

"You're going to need to stop talking to your mother for a while."

"I can't do that!"

"You're going to have to."

---

**A/N: Sorry about the lateness guys (technically it's early; what I mean was updating at 3am) and the shortness, but a short mid-morning update is better than no update, right? Right? :D**

**Anyways, remember to PM me for the livejournal link if you don't want to use twitter.**


	6. Advice

**Author's Note**: Hey girlies! It's only Tuesday morning, but my idiotic brother got me sick, so I get a day off today. To me, day off = day to write, so here I am! This probably won't get posted until Friday night, but I might as well get a head start, right?

Before I start ranting about nothing in particular, I'd like to take the time to thank everyone who reviewed the last few chapters. This is gunna get old fast, but I want you all to know that I'm so incredibly thankful to you for everything you've done. Special shoutouts go out to . and maveldiaz for being some of the first to add me on twitter, and Jessika_XoXo for actually responding to my random tweets! .: I should have mentioned this last chapter, but I didn't know it was you! Sorry hun! :) Also, to agony-fairy and burningimpossiblybright: you guys are almost as random as I am, and I love our hilarious (and often pointless) conversations! XD

Also, if you're looking for some amazing fanfics to read, I definitely recommend _Biting the Hand that Feeds _and _Animal I Have Become _by my friend Aqua279. Trust me, her stories are AMAZING and you will definitely be glad you listened to me!

Anyways, to those of you who still havn't but want to, add me on twitter! You'll get teasers for every chapter of this story, plus outtakes from _The Finding_! I know most of you guys were regular reviewers for that story...wouldn't you like something extra to keep you going until the sequel? ;) (Preparing for explosion of reviews and messages…) My twitter is sch _ 94, or you can PM me for the link to my livejournal. I think that's it for now, except for this brief little description:

**This chapter will be following the pattern of the last. Chloe is now 12, and things are definitely changing for her…**

Didn't you miss my incredibly long author's notes? I knew you did! Enjoy!

---

**Disclaimer**: Steph and Christina are watching _Silence of the Lambs _while enjoying some candy.

Christina: HOLY SHIT! Did you see that?! He ate the guy's friggin' face off!

Steph: *Mouth full of chocolate*  
Sowwy, I wawen't wisening. Wha whid woo way?

Christina: *Rolls eyes*  
Hey piggy, are you even paying attention to the movie?

Steph: *Swallows painfully*  
Yeah! That guy's making a woman suit, right? And that other guy has a thing for Clarisse, and-

Christina:*Narrows eyes*  
You read that on Wikipedia!

Steph: *Attempting to hide laptop*  
No I didn't! I swear!

Christina: Yeah you did! That's what you've been doing this entire time, isn't it? Writing your update and reading the movie summary on Wikipedia?

Steph: I, uh….I didn't-

Christina: STEPH! I don't care if you own the plot and feel the need to update regularly! You're gunna watch Hannibal Lector eat the flesh off some guy's face and you're gunna watch his blood drip onto the pure white snow and you're going to feel your stomach twist into little tiny knots and you're going to enjoy it! DO YOU UNDERSTAND ME, MAGGOT?!

Steph: *Shrinking into couch and covering self with pillow*  
Ye-yeah! I g-got it! Now can you b-back up please? You're invading my personal space!

---

**  
Advice**

Advice is what we ask for when we already know the answer but wish we didn't.

-Erica Jong

---

**Twelve Years Old**

_Dear Diary, _

_I can't believe I've already been 12 for three whole weeks! It seems like just last week I was moving in with Lauren and Andrew and hiding under the covers when I heard noises outside my window! So much has changed since then: I have two new best friends, I know more about my 'powers', I've grown over 3 inches… Speaking of growing; Simon says that his dad says we're gunna hit our growth spurts soon, but I don't feel any different…_

_Speaking of Simon, where is that boy?! Him and Derek were supposed to come over early to help me with math since Lauren and Andrew aren't home – who needs math anyway? – but they're still missing in action. I'm starting to wonder whether I should be worried or not…_

"Chloe! Get your math-challenged self out here right now! And bring a calculator!" Simon called from the backyard. I marked my page with a ribbon and slipped my most prized possession into its spot in my desk drawer. I grabbed my math books and calculator and made my way outside.

"You guys were supposed to be here hours ago!" I chided. "What happened; did you get lost in the forest or something?"

Simon smiled a crooked smile. "Nope! I made Derek explain everything to me before we left so _I_ could be the one to teach you! I'm an algebra expert now!" he said proudly. He bent down to retrieve his books from his backpack.

Derek appeared behind me. He leaned down to whisper in my ear. "It took me hours to explain to him that 'x' isn't the same number every time," he said solemnly. "Just smile and nod when he stops making sense, okay?"

I nodded slowly as not to attract Simon's attention. I knew what he was really telling me to do: protect Simon's feelings.

For the next couple of hours, Simon attempted to explain pre-algebra to me while Derek sat a few meters from us, reading another one of his father's books about supernaturals.

Every time he came to visit, Derek would bring some sort of research material along with him. While Simon and I talked and played, Derek would read.

We often left him to it.

The one and only time I had ever asked him about it, Derek had quickly shut the book and buried it deep into his backpack, coming over to sit with Simon and I on one of the boulders surrounding the pool.

"Hey…Derek?" He looked up from the ancient tome resting on his lap. "Remember wh-when you looked up what I was? It was a long time ago, but…"

"Yeah," he grunted. "_Necromancer. _Why?"

I dug the toe of my shoe into the ground nervously. "Did you… ever f-find anything else out? Maybe that book you checked in was lacking some of the details...it was pretty old, after all. Did you ever find out anything new?" I paused to take in a much needed gulp of air. "Because…well, I sorta have a feeling that this ghost-whispering thing isn't it, you know?"

He stared at the book in his lap with a blank look in his eyes. "Derek?" I repeated.

_What's wrong with him? Is he deaf or something?_

"No," he mumbled. When he looked up at me again there was something in his eyes…indecision maybe? He was biting his lip nervously too, as if he was trying to make up his mind about something…

He cleared his throat. "Ugh…no," he finally said. "I…ugh…never found out anything else."

"Oh…"

"It's understandable, though – necromancers are pretty hard to come by these days, so there isn't much information available…" he said, rather quickly it seemed.

"Oh…" I repeated defeatedly. "Okay, well…what have you found out about Simon?"

"Based on what I've read, Simon's just an average sorcerer, I think. He's still working on some pretty basic spells, and-"

"They're not basic!" Simon called from behind me. "They're extremely complicated, and it's not my fault I never have time to practice!" he said with a huff.

Thinking fast, I said, "Calm down, Simon! Derek's just jealous because your powers are better than his! Right Derek?" I shot him a look that said: _just go with it._

Apparently he got the message. "You're right, Chloe. I'm sorry Simon!" he said sincerely.

Simon smiled. "That's okay Derek! So, Chloe, are you ready to give up on this math stuff yet?"

"Definitely! So, Derek, about _your _powers-"

He cut me off. "Hey, did Lauren and Andrew ever say anything about you talking to your mom that one time?"

"Huh?" I said lamely, disoriented by the sudden change of subject. I finally realized what he meant after a few seconds. "Oh! Sorry! Um…well, no… but I did hear them talking about me a few days ago; something about 'abnormal behaviour'…

"But you havn't even been talking to your mom as much as you used to! You've only been doing it once a week like I said, right?"

I didn't say anything.

"CHLOE! I can't believe you didn't listen to me! Now look what's happened!"

"She's my mother, Derek! I can't just ignore her when she comes to see me!"

_Or at least that's what I had told him. _Truthfully, I was still the one initiating our talks every night_._

Derek crossed his arms. "You have to stop, Chloe. I meant it this time! It's the only way to calm Lauren and Andrew down. We've been through this, haven't we?"

Simon appeared beside me. "Leave her alone, Derek! You can't blame her for missing her mom! I still miss Mom, and it's been years!"

"Simon!" Derek gasped, horrified.

"You're mom is dead too?" I repeated slowly. "Why…why didn't you tell me?"

Derek took control of the situation. "It's not important right now. What's important is that you understand that you have to do everything in your power to keep Lauren and Andrew from getting suspicious, okay?"

"But…I would have wanted to know, Derek! Friends are supposed to know stuff like that about eachother!" I told him. A thought occurred to me seconds later. "Unless…unless you don't think of us as friends?" I finished quietly.

Simon looked crushed. "We are friends, Chloe! Derek's just being a meanie because-"

"Simon!" Derek hissed. He turned to me. "I'm sorry for not telling you, okay? It just never came up! Now, can we _please _move on?"

"Fine," I agreed. "But no more keeping secrets! Friends are supposed to tell each other everything; agreed?" I held out my pinky ceremoniously.

"Agreed," he mumbled, entwining our pinkies.

I smiled. "Good." I looked down at our little fingers, which were still connected. He jerked his back and cleared his throat when he noticed me looking.

"Guuuuuuuys, can we do something fun now? I brought my new monopoly; it's the _Disney _version!" Simon said excitedly.

It was my turn to interrupt. "Um…actually Simon, I was hoping we could do something else….how 'bout a movie instead?"

"Uh…okay! Derek?"

"That sounds fine."

We snuck back into my room. I locked the door and selected one of my favourite movies from the bookshelf, popping it into the DVD player before dimming the lights.

About halfway through the movie Simon began fidgeting. I ignored him and kept watching, completely absorbed until I heard a yawn and felt something brush my shoulder. I turned to glance at my shoulder, where Simon's arm was now resting. "Uh… Simon? What are you doing, exactly?"

He smiled. "I have no idea! I saw it on TV once and wanted to try it out… Did I do it wrong?" he asked, frowning slightly.

"Um…no, it's actually kind of nice," I admitted. I leaned into his arm gently and stayed there until the movie was over.

***

Derek rushed out the door before I even had time to put the DVD back in its case. "What's his problem?" I asked, utterly confused.

"Hormones, I think. I hope _we _don't get like that!"

I shuddered dramatically. "Me too!"

"Anyways, Chloe, I'm gunna go follow Derek. G'night!"

"Night Simon." I walked him to the patio door and watched him leave. Derek was waiting for him and watching from the edge of the tree-line with his arms folded across his chest.

_What's his problem? _I wondered.

I went to bed that night feeling uneasy. The tension between Lauren, Andrew, and I was getting worse, and although I _knew _I should be following Derek's advice, it wouldn't stop me from speaking to my mother the next morning…

There was also a nagging feeling in the back of my mind telling me that I was missing something when it came to my ability, or 'powers', as Derek called them. He was always acting so suspicious when I asked him about our powers…

_What could I be missing? _

_And better yet…_

_Could Derek be hiding something? _

***

"Mom, what's wrong? I haven't seen you like this since that night you went all apocalypse-"

"Chloe, I can't talk right now sweetheart. Things are happening fast and I need to go away for a while in order to keep you safe."

"Mom! You can't be serious! Noone is after me, okay? Remember the last time you said there was danger? It turned out to be nothing more than 2 kids: Simon and Derek!"

"My previous warning still applies, Chloe. I wasn't talking about Simon and Derek last time. I was talking about… well, there's this group, and they've been doing horrible things. They've been-"

She was gone before she could say anything else.

"Mom!" I called into my unlit bedroom. "Mom!" I shut my eyes and concentrated, trying to get her to reappear.

After several more failed attempts I picked up my pillow off the bed, covered my face with it and screamed, letting out all of my anger and frustration. When my lungs were empty I whipped the pillow across the room, knocking over my frilly pink desk lamp.

_I'm tired of feeling clueless; tired of waiting for answers that'll I probably never receive._

"You know what, mom?" I whispered angrily to myself. "Someday, I'm gunna get tired of being hung up on!"

---

**Author's Note: **

**"I'm doing His work. You're not gunna stop me!"**

***Bang! Bang!***

**"He just did."**

**Lmfaooo! I love Criminal Minds, as you probably already know. Anyways, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. I can't wait to write the next one and post it, but that all depends on how many reviews I get :) At least 20 please!**

**One last thing! I heard this song and immediately thought of the whole Chloe-Derek relationship! Give it a listen! It's called "Look After You" by The Fray (don't diss my music, please!). Happy Halloween darlings! **


	7. Fury

**Author's Note**: Hey guys! It's been a hectic week, but here I am with another update, just 'cause I love you all :P This week I found out that a TMI movie is officially being made! They're already writing the script and everything! *Jumps up and down and squeels* I can't wait! XD

I'd like to thank everyone who reviewed last chapter. Even though I'm not demanding reviews for this story (yet…seriously guys, I only got 7 reviews last chapter, but I got 72 favourites/subscribed messages!), you guys still keep 'em coming! Thank you so much guys! A big shoutout goes out to burningimpossiblybright, fanpire4000, Jessika_XoXo, agony-fairy, freyaswrath and Sweet – you ladies make my day! Keep those random messages, long reviews and tweets rollin' in! To Sweet: I'm so sorry! Every time I write your name in with the shoutouts it just becomes this random little dot because fanfic's being evil. You still rock tho! :D

For those of you who still haven't but want to, add me on twitter! You'll get teasers every Wednesday for this story, plus advanced access to outtakes from _The Finding_! Sound good? If so, add me: sch _ 94 !

Speaking of teasers…Because of your responses to my song idea last chapter, I've decided to hold a bit of a contest! ***CONTEST!*** Here's how it'll work: you guys include a Chloe + Derek relationship (ONLY!) song in your reviews, and I'll pick the top 5. These top fivers will receive an exclusive teaser from one of the chapters in this story when Chloe and Derek are 16 and 17. (Awesome, right?) Then these 5 choices will be turned into a poll for you guys to vote on! By the end of next week, I'll contact the winner, who will receive either another teaser from an advanced chapter or a one-shot written by me, based on an idea they give me (it'll be their choice and yes, lemons are included, pervs :P). Sound good? If so, include your song choice in your review for this chapter, or PM it to me.

The Finding: Outtakes! I have a few written already and they will be posted on both my livejournal and on fanfic (most of you have put it on story alert already, so I assume you already found it). I will, however, be demanding reviews for these outtakes, to help get it going AND because I haven't been getting a lot of reviews lately, compared to the number of times my stories are favourited and subscribed to… Twenty before the next one is posted please :)

That's it for now guys (promise!). Thanks for putting up with my long author's notes, and enjoy the chapter!

---

**Disclaimer**: Steph and Christina are in the cafeteria eating lunch. Steph is very excited about something…

Steph: *Bouncing up and down in her seat*  
So there's this guy in my science class and he's so _Derek_! He's a total tank! He's 6 ft 3, with dark brown hair, green eyes, and he looks _exactly _like how you would picture a werewolf to look!

Christina: *Rolls eyes*  
Suuuuuuuuuure, Steph. Next you're going to tell me you own more than just the plot and new characters you made for this story!

Steph: But Tinaaaaaa! I'm completely serious! He could be Derek!

Christina: *Not paying attention*  
Mhhmmmmm?

Steph: Yeah!

Christina: Riiiiiight. Just give it up sweetie, Derek doesn't exist!

Steph: *Grumbles and crosses arms*

**A few minutes later…**

Steph: OMG! LOOK! THERE HE IS! IT'S DEREK!  
*Points to something behind Christina*

Christina: *Looks, turns back to Steph with wide eyes*  
HOLY SHIT! I KNEW HE EXISTED!  
*Gets up and beings chasing guy*  
Derek! DEREEEEEK! DON'T YOU RUN AWAY FROM ME MISTER! WHERE 'S SIMON? WHERE! IS! SIMOOOON?!  
*Continues to chase the poor guy through the cafeteria*

Steph: *Laughing hysterically*  
This is _sooooo _my next disclaimer…

---

**Fury **

_Beware of him that is slow to anger; for when it is long coming it is stronger when it comes, and the longer kept. Abused patience turns to fury._

_-Francis Quarles_

**Thirteen Years Old**

My mother didn't return until almost 4 months later.

I had been trying to contact her every day since the day she disappeared without any success, so when she actually materialized in front of me that day, I jumped.

"Mom! You gave me a friggin' heart attack!" I scolded, before coming to my senses. "MOM! You're back! Where the heck have you been for so long?!" I demanded. "Do you have any idea how worried I was when you just _disappeared _like that? How could you be so inconsiderate?!" I knew I was ranting, but _dammit_, I was angry!

"I told you before I left, Chloe – I had things to do."

"What kind of 'things' could possibly take you four months to complete?!"

"You know I can't tell you that," she said with a hint of annoyance in her tone.

"Yeah, I know," I said, letting the acid seep into my voice while attempting to disguise the fact that I was about to cry. I turned around and tried to pull myself together. _Why is she acting like this? _I wondered. _Why is this happening to us?_

I turned around again. "Mom, I-"

She was already gone.

*******

The next ten months followed the same uneventful pattern: sleep, school, and visits with Simon and Derek were what occupied most of my time, and I was comfortable knowing what to expect day after day.

I was about to become very _uncomfortable._

One Friday night, early in the spring, Derek and I were waiting outside for Simon, who had forgotten about the fountain-sized drink he'd had at lunch before leaving the house. He had rushed into the bathroom upon arriving, leaving Derek and I alone for the first time in almost a year.

There was an awkward moment of silence that stretched on for what seemed like forever, until Derek finally spoke.

"So, uh… how was school?" he asked lamely, something Simon usually beat him to. Simon was fascinated by the prospect of going to school with so many people and liked to live vicariously through my stories, while Derek was perfectly content with learning at home. _He _asked because he knew how much I hated every moment I spent stuck in that industrialized, pitiful excuse for a 'healthy learning environment'.

"The same as always: lonely and boring," I said bluntly.

He ran his fingers through the patch of grass next to his leg. "You still haven't made friends?" he asked incredulously. "It's usually so easy for girls like you!"

I ignored that. "I don't _want_ to make friends."

He looked confused by my confession. "Why not?"

I sighed. "I don't want to have to lead two separate lives, Derek! I can't pretend to be some perky , carefree girl who loves movies and music one minute and be "_Chloe the Ghost Whisperer" _the next! Not when I know about horrible things like demons and ghosts and poltergeists and…none of it matters to me!"

"So you distance yourself from everyone purposely? That's not right, Chloe. Everyone needs friends."

"I have you and Simon," I said simply. "What else could I need?"

He hung his head and sighed. "You don't want anything else, but you deserved more than this life of loneliness and fear… you could have had it if we hadn't barged into your life the way we did."

The silence returned after that. I didn't know how to respond to what he was saying; I should have denied it, told him he had it all wrong, but I couldn't find the words.

"I'm sorry," he whispered, so low I almost didn't hear it.

I felt a stab of guilt. _I should have just kept my stupid mouth shut and stopped complaining! Now he's torturing himself because of me!_

I did the only thing I could think to do at that moment – I leaned over and hugged him. "Don't say that!" I scolded. "You guys are the best thing that's happened to me in a long time! It's not _your _fault I'm a loner!"

He chuckled half-heartedly and hugged me back with one arm.

Simon always had the _best _timing…

There was a nervous laugh that came from behind me, and Derek yanked his arm back as if I was poisonous. "Hey!" Simon said nervously as he made his way over to us. "That's my job!" Simon hugged me tightly, cutting off my air supply. Behind him, Derek rolled his eyes and strode off.

*******

The next day was a Sunday. Andrew, Lauren, and I had been forced to cancel our movie night on Saturday, so we were planning to go see a movie then instead.

After the movie we all went out for lunch. Throughout the movie Lauren had seemed tense, so when she put her menu down and looked at Andrew I mimicked her, knowing she probably had something important to say.

"Chloe, sweetie, Andrew and I have been talking this over, and-"

My heart sank. Her tone was grim and somber, and that usually only meant one thing to orphans… "You're sending me back?" I guessed. "Is it because of something I did? Because if it is, I'll-"

"No, sweetheart, don't be silly! We would never send you back there!" she assured me. "We just-"

"You're having a baby?!" I guessed hopefully.

Andrew choked on his drink and set it down. "What?!"

"No, no!" Lauren said impatiently, her voice adopting the somber tone again. "Listen Chloe… Andrew and I have been discussing this, and we feel it would be best if you talked to someone."

"I'm talking to you, aren't I?" I asked, confused about where she was going with this.

"I mean a professional, hun. We hear you sometimes, and…There are a lot of great doctors I know at the hospital who specialized in child psychology, and I think they could really help you get over-"

"You…want me to see a shrink?" I simplified.

She sighed defeatedly. "Yes."

I could feel my hands shaking. _They know! They know about everything and they think I'm crazy!_

I got up slowly, unsteady on my feet. "I'll b-be in t-the c-car," I said, running out the door of the restaurant before they could say anything else.

The drive home was tense. I bolted out of the car the moment the car stopped moving, determined to avoid seeing or speaking to Andrew and Lauren. _I refuse to be examined by some pompous idiot with a psychology degree worth less than a can of SPAM!_

I picked up my phone and dialed. "Simon, can you and Derek come over? I really need to talk to hi- you guys."

Simon hung up with a hurried "be right there!"

While I waited for Derek and Simon to arrive, I wrote in my journal and attempted to calm myself down. When that didn't work, I unlocked one of my drawers and pulled out a bag of licorice from my secret candy stash.

I had just managed to rip open the bag when I heard a light knock at the window. I stuffed a piece of licorice in my mouth before opening the balcony door and stepping outside. "I'm over here!" Simon called from near the pool. I made my way over, searching for Derek after receiving a quick hug from Simon.

"Where's Derek?" I asked.

"He told me to go on ahead – he's busy looking for something."

"Oh…okay." I shoved another piece of licorice in my mouth and held the bag out to Simon. "Want some?"

"I can't."

"Right, sorry. I forgot about the diabetes thing," I said, feeling guilty for eating candy like a pig in front of him.

"That's all right. So, what did you need to talk to us about? Did something happen?" he asked anxiously.

"I'd rather wait so I can tell you both at the same time, if you don't mind... What's taking Derek so long, Simon?"

"He's not coming," he said quietly.

"What?! Why not?!"

"He's… he's not feeling too great right now."

"Oh, well… can we go see him?"

"Um…no, Chloe, I don't think we should. He doesn't want anyone seeing him right now," Simon said anxiously.

"W-why not? What's going on, Simon?"

"Nothing!"

"There's definitely something! You're acting all suspicious! Just tell me what's going on!"

"I can't!"

"Simon, it's _me! _Chloe, your best friend! You can tell me anything, remember? Why are you being so secretive all of a sudden?!"

"I'm sorry Chloe, I just… can't, okay? Can we drop it please?"

"Fine." My anger towards Andrew and Lauren, my mother, and now my anger towards Simon and Derek was getting to be too much to bear; I felt like I was going to explode if I didn't get away from everyone.

I got up and stormed back towards my room.

"Chloe, wait! Come back!" Simon was running after me, trying to catch up.

"Go home, Simon."

"Chloe, _wait_! I'll tell you, okay? Just please don't be mad at me!"

I spun around to face him. "Start talking."

*******

"You've got to be kidding me! He's a _werewolf_?!"

"It's true!"

"A howling-at-the-moon, outta-my-way-or-you're-dog-chow, I-hate-all-things-vampire, _werewolf?!"_

Simon rolled his eyes. "He doesn't howl, and I'm pretty sure there's no such thing as vampires. Plus, he's not even a full werewolf yet!"

"Either way, it's not possible!"

"Chloe, I cast spells, and you talk to dead people. _We're _not possible!"

"But those things are…I don't know, _conditions_! Being a werewolf isn't even physically possible, Simon!"

"Apparently, it is."

"I don't know… I think I need him to tell me himself."

Simon looked hurt. "I don't know, Chloe…"

"Just send him over by himself one day when he's feeling better! I'll ask him about it and-"

"He would kill me if he found out I told you!"

"I won't tell him you told me! I'll just say I figured it out or something! Whaddaya say?"

"Um…"

"Please Simon?"

He sighed. "Fiiiiiiiiiiiiiine, but you owe me big time!"

I grinned. "Thanks Simon. I'm gunna go inside now. See ya next week?"

"You'll be seeing me at my funeral if Derek ever finds out I told you," he warned.

I stuck my tongue out at him and made a face. "Tell Derek I hope he feels better!"

"I will!" he called before disappearing into the trees. I went back inside and collapsed on my bed. I needed time to process everything that was going on… _my adoptive parents think I'm was crazy and want to send me to see a therapist, my dead mother won't stop talking about the danger we're all in, and now this? _

I rolled over so that I could stare at the ceiling through the hole in the canopy. _Being a teenager sucks, _I decided.

*******

Derek showed up about two days later. "Hey!" I called through the open window. "I'll be right there, just gimme a few seconds!"

He nodded and went to wait by the trees. I put my journal away quickly and ran outside, eager to confront Derek with my newfound knowledge. I almost tripped down the balcony stairs in my haste.

I ran the rest of the distance from my balcony to the trees, coming to a screeching halt once I got a good look at Derek.

He was standing with his arms folded across his chest, and despite the chill in the air, he was only wearing a t-shirt and shorts.

That wasn't all though – he looked _bigger _somehow, as if he'd grown a foot in the past week, and his face… his face was the worst of all. His eyes were still the same, but it looked as if someone had taken a red magic marker and drawn polka-dots all over his face!

"What the hell happened to you?" I asked without thinking.

He blushed and turned away. "Puberty," he mumbled. I cocked an eyebrow at him but said nothing.

He cleared his throat. "So…what did you want to talk about the other day?" he asked, his tone business-like.

I leaned against a tree and closed my eyes, too distracted by what he looked like to be able to think clearly. "Lauren and Andrew… they want to send me to see someone."

"Who?" he asked, sounding bored. _Whoa now, tone it down there, Derek! Don't get too excited now!_

I opened my eyes to be able to gauge his reaction. "A therapist."

His face turned white. "They know?!"

"Ya think?" I said sarcastically.

"But how?! It doesn't make sense! I thought you weren't talking to your mom as much as you used to!"

"We've been arguing a lot lately," I admitted. "I guess they heard me and thought I was getting worse or something."

He began pacing. "This is bad."

I rolled my eyes. "Thank you, captain obvious. You know, I hadn't figured that out yet!"

He stopped pacing and turned to face me. "How could you be so stupid?!" he demanded. "I _told you _what would happen, didn't I? How could you be so irresponsible?!"

My temper flared and I got defensive. "Well, _excuse me _for wanting to speak to someone other than Simon for a change!"

"What are you talking about? You talk to me and Andrew and Lauren, don't you?"

I snorted. "Yeah, 'cause Lauren and Andrew and I get along _sooooo _well, right? They only wanna have me committed, but you know, no big deal!"

"You talk to me."

"You?! You're always in your own little world, Derek!"

"What'd you mean? I'm always here listening!"

"Yeah, _listening_!" I emphasized. "But you never _say _anything; other than 'beware of parents' or 'go talk to Simon'! You never tell me anything about yourself! It's like talking to a wall!"

_We sound like a couple in a horror movie, _I realized. _That one couple who argues in the beginning and then splits up and then gets back together after they almost die and realize they can't live without one another._

"I tell you everything you need to know," he said calmly.

"Oh, _yeah,_" I spat. "You just neglected to mention the fact that you're a freakin' werewolf!"

He froze. "Simon told you," he guessed.

There was no point in denying it. "Yes." I let my voice soften. "But what I can't understand is, why didn't _you _tell me?"

He sat down on the grass and rubbed his eyes. "I didn't want you to hate me, to think I was a monster or something."

"I would never think that!"

"Maybe not, but you'd be afraid of me."

"I'm not afraid of you, Derek."

"Yes, you are. Everyone who knows is terrified of me, and they have good reason to be!"

"Well, I'm not!"

He stared at me, searching my eyes for some sort of indication that I was lying. "Really?"

"Yes, you idiot! I've known you since I was ten! I know you'd never hurt anyone! Remember that time I was going to kill a spider but you made me let it go because it was an 'invaluable part of the natural cycle of predatory evolution'?"

He smiled weakly. "That was two years ago!"

"It doesn't matter! Nothing's changed!"

"I have."

"Yeah, I know! When did you get so tall? You're a beast!"

He shrugged. "Unlike some people, I eat my vegetables."

"Riiiiiight. Simon told me you give him all of yours, don't even try to deny it!"

He shook his head and muttered something about 'big mouths'. "Chloe?"

"Yeah?"

"I'm sorry about before, but what are you gunna do about Andrew and Lauren? Did they say they're gunna force you to go see a therapist?"

I racked my brain for any memory of Lauren saying I _had _to go. "I don't think so… I think they were trying to convince me before, so they're probably not going to force me into it."

He nodded thoughtfully. "Okay. You know, if you want them to get off your case, you're really gunna have to stop talking to your mom so much. I know it'll be hard, but-"

"I'll try…but I need some way to keep myself from giving in, you know? Some way to- wait, I have an idea!"

"What is it?"

"Well, I was thinking… maybe you could come visit me every day? That way I won't feel as lonely, and I won't have to bother my mom so much…"

Derek looked uncomfortable. "You want me to come over every day?" he repeated.

"It's totally okay if you don't want to!" I said hurriedly. "I was just thinking that it would help me get over my dependence on my mom, you know? Having someone there watching me would stop me from-"

"I'll do it," he said slowly.

"Really? That's amazing! Thank you so much!"

"Do you want me to tell Simon to come with me?" he asked hesitantly.

"Um…could we keep this just between us for now?" I asked, internally cringing at the thought of having to be cheerful enough to hang out with Simon every day. He was my best friend, but it was exhausting being around him sometimes… "If that's okay with you," I added as an afterthought.

"Sounds good to me."

We sat there for a while, talking about how I should approach Lauren and Andrew with my refusal of their suggestion. After that, I tried getting him to explain more about the werewolf thing.

"Hey, sorry about before…" I said, trying to sound as sincere as I felt. "I was just… really surprised."

"It's alright. Simon reacted the same way."

"I don't get it… why do you look so different?"

"It's a werewolf thing I guess. We grow really fast."

"Oh…so when do you turn into a wolf?"

"I have no idea. It usually happens at around 18, but everyone's different…"

"Oh…well, I bet you'll make a cool wolf."

He chuckled to himself. "Yeah, I'll bet."

---

**Author's Note: I hope you enjoyed this chapter. I tried to get it out as soon as possible, but it was kinda difficult when I can only use 1 arm to type (I got the swine flu vaccine yesterday and my arms positively KILLS!) Anyways, I hope you enjoyed the long-ness, (32 pages of notebook paper! No joke!) the next one is gunna be chock-full of drama! :P Please review, and remember to include your contest entries in either your review or a PM! Thanks guys! :)**


	8. Disgust

**Author's Note**: Ladiiiiiiiiiiies! :D

Hey guys! I'd like to start off by apologizing for the lateness of this update… I know you guys are probably all glaring at the screen right now, but I really couldn't get this update out in time! I've been so busy since Halloween, and everything's getting so hectic… not to mention I've been reading Shadowland and had to see New Moon last night!

I'd also like to thank everyone who reviewed last chapter and either messaged or sent in their contest entries! I had a lot of fun listening to all the songs you guys suggested, and I have chosen the five songs I feel most reflect the Chloe + Derek relationship (out of the ones submitted). Without further ado, the winners are…

**Fanpire4000, SpencerReidFan89, Jessika_xoxo, burningimpossiblybright, and Emmoria! **

Congrats guys! I'll be sending your prizes to you ASAP, but you have to lemme know where you want me to send it to (email, docx, etc…). PM me!

I created the poll, so go vote! The winner gets either a one-shot written by me (whatever topic they want, including a lemon, but not one from this story) or another advanced teaser from when Chloe and Derek are 16 and 17. Go vote so one of these five lovely ladies can claim their prize! Voting will close on Wednesday night! **GO VOTE!!!**

A big shoutout to all my girls this week! Thank you to xpskl and Jessika xoxo for their tweets, and everyone who reviewed for being such loyal reviewers! Also, big thank you to burning, agony-fairy, freyaswrath and fanpire4000 for their messages, and RainStorm-grey for her review that made my day :)

---

**Disclaimer**: Steph is busy formulating a plan to capture Derek.

Steph: Christina, I need your help to capture Derek.

Christina: Cool! What's the plan?

Steph: Here's a brief outline of the main objectives involved.  
*Hands her a rather large blue-print*

Christina: *Reads it over for a few minutes with a lot of _hmmms_ and _uh huhs_*  
Nice! I like what you did here, and the use of hot-sauce on your part was very creative!

Steph: Thanks!

Christina: So, what's this here?  
*Begins walking forward while reading blueprint and not paying attention, slips*  
What the hell was that?!

Steph: *Smiles mischievously*  
I Vaseline-d that shit so Derek would slip if he tried to run away! What do you think?

Christina: *Beaming*  
Genius! You know, it's too bad you don't own anything but the plot for this story; you probably wouldn't have screwed it up _that _badly!

Steph: *Confused*  
Uh…thanks?

---

**Disgust**

_If you hate a person, you hate something in him that is part of yourself. What isn't part of ourselves doesn't disturb us._

-Hermann Hesse

_When we don't know who to hate, we hate ourselves._

-Chuck Palahniuk

**Fourteen Years Old**

Weirdly enough, I wasn't bothered by my mother's diminished presence. Even though I only talked to her once a week, spending time with Derek every night seemed to keep that little part of my heart that missed her all the time from aching as badly as it used to. We had become inseparable since the night I had confronted him about being a werewolf, and life had gotten a lot better for us both, having someone to tell even your deepest, darkest secrets to…

"So by process of elimination, 'x' has to equal negative thirteen…right?" I pulled my pencil out of its spot in my messy bun and wrote 'x=-13' on my paper before looking up at Derek. "Right?"

He took the worksheet from my outstretched hand and studied it for a minute. "Actually, it's positive thirteen."

I pouted. "Really?"

"Sorry Chloe. You were really close though - you just forgot to distribute the negative one." He pointed to the barely visible dash in front of the bracket. "See?"

"Dammit!" I growled, whipping my pencil at a nearby tree. Derek cocked his eyebrow at me; I crossed my arms angrily and glared at the paper. "Stupid negative signs!" I grumbled. "I will have my revenge someday, just you wait!"

He narrowed his eyes at me. "You're starting to scare me there, kid."

"Kid?!" I shrieked. "What are you, seven or eight months older than me? How does that make _me _the 'kid' here?"

"It just does."

"Oh really? Well, if I'm the kid, why were you the one watching a _Dragonball-Z _marathon on T.V. last week?"

He looked offended. "Hey! That's a good show for people of all ages! And weren't _you _the one who insisted on going to Andrew's nephew's Halloween party dressed as _Sailor Moon_?"

_Fool. He thinks he has the upper hand, but I know who holds the power here..._

"Don't make me hug you, Derek," I threatened. "And didn't we agree to never speak of that horrible day ever again?" I shuddered as I reminisced about the events of the night. "That kid was slimier than the pound of cheap hair gel in his oily hair!"

"You know he was just trying to impress you, right?" Derek had attempted to explain that I couldn't blame the guy for using so much gel when he was dressed as _Dracula, _but I wasn't buying it.

"Oh, I was impressed all right – impressed by the fact that he couldn't stop staring at my boobs!"

Derek looked embarrassed. "Way too much information there, Chloe."

"Sorry," I said immediately. Normally I would have made some sort of sarcastic remark, but for some reason I felt the need to apologize…and maybe change the subject to clear the air. "So, how's Simon been?"

"He's fine, Chloe. It's only been what, two days? What could have happened to him in two days?"

"A lot could've happened!" I countered.

He shook his head. "In two days? I don't know about you, but boring people like us live the same boring schedule every day, and nothing _ever _happens."

"You're such a liar, Derek. What about that thing your dad took you on a few days ago?" I asked.

"Those raids don't count – most of the time we're just gathering information, and Simon and I have been going on those things for years!"

"They count for _something_, don't they?"

He paused for a few seconds. "Well…_yeah,_" he admitted, "but it's not like I look forward to having to run for my life, you know?"

"I'd take running for my life over this crap any day!"

"What could possibly be so bad about your life there, princess?" he asked sarcastically.

"Nothing really, it's just… so boring, you know? I wish something exciting would happen!"

"No, you don't. Trust me, Chloe."

I shrugged. "Whatever." I pulled my phone out of my pocket to check the time. "Holy crap! It's eleven thirty! I still have to finish my creative writing assignment!" I stood up and brushed the dirt off my jeans and picked my books up off the grass.

Derek stood up too. "Yeah, I gotta get going too. Should I come over tomorrow?"

He asked the same thing every night, and I always replied the same way.

"Definitely."

I ran back to the stairs, climbing each one carefully – without resting any of my weight on my legs – so as not to make noise. When I was finally on the balcony again I turned and waved goodbye to Derek, who disappeared into the cover of the trees seconds later.

Once I was inside again, I sat down at my desk and pulled out my notebook, turning to the page that had my assignment on it.

_Write a journal entry describing, in detail, an experience you've had that has changed your life._

I picked up my pencil and tapped it on the desk. _What should I write about?_

_Well, let's see…the tragic death of my parents?_

I shook my head. _No. I'm not looking for pity._

_Hmmm… how about being adopted?_

_Nah, too many things to explain... how about 'meeting my best friends'?_

_Sure; why not?_

I set the tip of the lead on the clean sheet of paper and began writing, half asleep. _An experience that really changed my life was…_ I scribbled it out and started again. _Something I've experienced that really changed my life was- _I ripped the paper out of my notebook and crumpled it into a little ball. _This is hopeless! I wish Derek was here. This would be so much easier if he was helping me…_

I sighed sadly. _Is it normal to miss someone a few minutes after they've left, even if you've been with them for hours?_

I shook my head to clear it. _Where did THAT come from?_

*******

Living deep in the forest had its disadvantages.

Every day on his way to work, Andrew would drive me to school, but since both Andrew and Lauren worked past 5, and because the closest bus stop was over 20 minutes from my house, I was forced to walk the rest of the way home every day.

I drew my coat shut with one hand as I stepped off the bus, the arctic air nipping at my exposed skin. It was only November, but this was Buffalo, and everyone from Buffalo is accustomed to colder than average temperatures throughout the year.

I put my back-pack down and zipped up my coat, digging my mittens out of the pocket. I knew I looked funny, but if I didn't wear these things, I'd probably have frostbite all over my face by the time I was done walking…

I turned around, realizing I hadn't heard the bus leave yet. I had turned around just in time to see three boys step off the bus; laughing and shoving each other like boys always seem to do. One of them saw me and whispered something to his friends, who then looked up at the same time and smiled at me.

The hair on the back of my neck stood up. _Who the hell are these creeps? _

They started walking towards me and I panicked, dashing into the grove of trees next to me. I could hear them laughing behind me, but I didn't care; better to look like a fool than to be a victim of a gang-bang.

When their laughing sounded far away enough I crept out from between the trees, stopping to study my surroundings. Having lived here for almost 4 and a half years, I knew my way around pretty well, but I still needed the occasional reminder.

I could still hear the creeps laughing. Their laughs were loud and obnoxious - the kind of laugh you hear at your most embarrassing moment and in your worst memories.

I made a split second decision and decided to follow them.

***** **

They obviously knew where they were going, based on the way in which they were walking. Most people who traveled through these woods were lost or unsure of which direction they were supposed to be travelling - these guys looked confident and determined.

I made sure to keep at least 50 feet between us at all times, ducking behind trees whenever it looked like one of them was going to turn around. After almost an hour of non-stop walking, the boys stopped. I don't know what made them stop – there was nothing special about that spot a far as I could tell, and there was nothing there that would appeal to someone who was looking for a quiet place to hang out.

The leader of the group turned to one of his friends. "Did ya get the shit?" he asked, sounding like the epitome of white trash.

"Yeah," his friend answered, sounding bored.

"Well, whatcha waitin' on? Get it out!" the leader instructed impatiently. _What are they talking about? _I wondered. _Drugs? Booze? Porn? Cigarettes?_

I watched in horror as the boy unzipped his backpack and showed his friends what was inside.

A kitten. A poor, defenseless little kitten, shoved inside the boy's backpack. I immediately became enraged – why would anyone want to hurt such an innocent little creature?

"Yo man, you sure your sister won' know nothin' 'bout this?" the previously silent boy asked.

"Naw, but I don' care; serves her right for gettin' ma coke taken 'way," the leader replied.

I cringed. Was this guy really that pathetic? Was he really that heartless, that he was willing to hurt a baby animal just to get revenge on his sister? Being the animal lover I was, I couldn't imagine anyone even considering doing something so horrible… maybe the guy was bluffing?

The two cronies shrugged, and the one with the backpack zipped it up and handed it to his leader. "You can do the honours," he said ceremoniously.

The leader took the tattered old backpack from his buddy and smirked; in that moment, he reminded me of the boy named Ben that used to torment me at the orphanage.

Deep down, I knew what was going to happen next.

He grasped one of the straps tightly in one hand and swung his arm, the backpack colliding with the trunk of a massive tree.

I could almost hear the sickening crack of the kitten's bones, and I was sure I could hear it crying out…

I wanted so badly to run up to those jackasses and knock _them _against a tree to show them how much they'd like it, but I was rooted to the spot, watching the scene in front of me unfold, frozen with absolute terror.

_He's going to kill that defenseless little creature, and I'm just standing here letting it happen? _

I willed myself to move, battling with every command my brain was sending to my limbs. _Move, dammit! Move!_

I don't know how long I stood there. It was probably only a few minutes, but it felt like a decade from where I was standing. Finally, after dozens of swings, the boy dropped the backpack and turned to his friends, who were whispering about something behind him. "Let's go," he said, beginning to walk before his friends even replied, not bothering to wait, like he knew they were going to follow his orders.

I waited until the sound of their footsteps had faded before stepping out from behind the tree I had been huddling behind.

I felt sick to my stomach – a recording of what had just happened was on loop inside my head, presenting me with disgusting images and embellishments that made everything seem worse. _I just stood there, _I repeated to myself. _I just stood there and watched those bastards murder an innocent little baby._

I made my way over to where the back-pack was, trying to make as little noise as possible in case the boys had decided to stay somewhere close I reached the back-pack, I picked it up gingerly and tugged on the zipper, afraid of what I was going to find inside. Would there be blood everywhere? Would there be little pieces of fur stuck to the lining? I ignored every image that my imagination produced and opened the bag.

Inside, there was nothing gruesome like I'd imagined. The kitten was just lying there at the bottom of the bag with its arms and legs bent at awkward angles.

It wasn't gruesome, but it still managed to break my heart.

I picked up the kitten's tiny body with one hand, and set the back-pack down. I brought it up to my ear and leaned in close, listening for the sound of the little creature's breathing.

I waited and waited. After a few minutes, I knew it was time to accept what had happened: the cat was dead…

I could have stopped it from dying.

I could feel the weight of the guilt pressing on my heart, reminding me of what I'd done every moment _my _heart continued to beat while the kittens no longer could. I could feel my anger towards myself bubbling up from my stomach and threatening to consume me, the amount of guilt I was feeling increasing as I replayed the scene over and over again in my head.

_Coward! You could have done something! You could have saved it!_

Suddenly, I was no longer in a clearing in the forest. I was in the place where it all started, on the night my life changed forever.

My parents were screaming. I could hear them now, over the screeching of the tires against the ice and the screams coming from the brakes. They were begging me to help them, reaching out to me, and I pulled my hand away, hugging it against me and denying them my assistance.

We crashed, and when I opened my eyes, there they were. I knew they were dead at this point, having seen this dream so many times, but I still shook them.

The scene changed, and the night sky turned blood red. The clouds turned black, and the sun disappeared. Suddenly, in a way that was most definitely _wrong, _they both sat up and turned around.

"You could have saved us!" my father boomed, his eyes blank. "You could have stopped this!"

Then it was my mother's turn. "You could have stopped it, but you chose to let us die! You were the one who _deserved _to die, you monster! You did this to us!"

I could feel the tears flowing down my cheeks and soaking my shirt. "N-no! It w-wasn't m-my f-fault! I c-couldn't d-do a-a-anything!"

Their eyes were blank. "Monster! Monster!" they chanted, reaching for me.

"N-no, p-please!" I begged, shrinking away from their fingers. "I'm s-so s-sorry!" I choked out between sobs.

Suddenly I was in the clearing again, the lifeless body of the kitten still resting in my hand. I was crying hard, the tears trailing down my cheeks, one after the other. I had never cried like this, but I knew why.

I was crying for everyone I'd ever lost; everything I'd ever done that hurt anyone, everything I could've stopped but never tried to. I cried for my parents, who loved me so much that they watched over me even after they were no longer needed; I cried for my adoptive parents, who gave me everything I wanted and deserved so much better than a lonely child who talked to herself; I cried for the way my life had turned out, so different from all the paths I'd envisioned myself following…

When I was done crying about my life, I cried about the poor dead kitten I held in my hands. It hadn't deserved to die, hadn't deserved to have its life cut short by those heartless creeps. It deserved to have lived a long, lazy life, being pampered by its doting owner, and it could've if I hadn't been such a coward…

_It deserved to live._

I closed my eyes and let the tears flow, ignoring the way my hands were shaking. _Am I having a panic attack? _I wondered idly. _Great, just great. As if Lauren and Andrew need another reason to have me committed… _I thought back to all the times I had experienced panic attacks after my parent's deaths, remembering that I tended to faint during those little episodes…

_I have to calm down. I have to slow down my heart rate or I'm going to pass out._

I choked back my sobs, trying to get myself to breathe normally. _Deep breaths, in and out, in and out_.

After a few moments of deep breathing I could feel myself calming down, although my hands were still shaking. _Is that normal? _I wondered. _My hands never used to shake during these things…_

I opened my eyes and looked down.

I screamed.

The kitten, clearly and undeniably dead just moments ago, was _moving._

_Moving!_

_This was all brought on by the panic attack, _I told myself, shutting my eyes and squeezing them together. _The dead cat isn't moving. When I open my eyes, it'll be there in my hands, unmoving and still. _

No such luck.

When I opened my eyes again the little kitten was definitely there in my hands, squirming uncomfortably against my fingers.

I screamed and dropped the kitten, getting as far away as possible while trying to stay close enough to observe what was going on. _What the hell is going on?! It was beyond dead a few minutes ago! How is it moving? _

As I watched it pull itself up off the ground, a thought struck me.

_Zombie. It came back to life; a re-animated corpse..._

I stared in horror as it attempted to stand on its broken limbs, falling down every time it struggled to stand. After a few failed attempts it began to mew, the broken sound shattering my heart into a million little pieces.

_It's in pain, _I realized. _Its body is completely destroyed._

It seemed my brain was working in overdrive as I came to a horrifying conclusion:

_I did this. I trapped that poor dead kitten's soul in its mangled body!_

I reached out, placing my hand on the trunk of the nearest tree in order to steady myself, the nausea making me sway unsteadily. _This isn't happening! This isn't happening!_

_This can't be happening!_

The kitten mewed again, sounding more like a crying child than a helpless animal.

I fell to the ground, unsure of what to do and feeling too weak to do much of anything after all the crying. _How long have I been able to do this? How long have I unknowingly had the power to play God?_ I pondered.

I looked up at the kitten, watching as it struggled - in vain - to stand, wishing I could put the poor thing out of its misery.

_I did this… now I have to undo it._

I picked myself up off the ground and made my way over to the poor creature, standing as close as I could get without feeling uncomfortable. _How am I supposed to do this? _I thought frantically. _How do you kill something that's already dead?!_

I looked around the clearing, searching for some sort of answer. It was dark already, the sky already turning black. I hadn't realized how long I'd been here; Derek would be waiting for me…

_Derek._

If anyone could help me right now, he could. After all, he must've picked up a lot about what to do in these types of situations from all the books he'd read…

I ran like I'd never run before, trying to find my way back to the path. Derek would probably already be waiting for me at my house, wondering what'd taken me so long. I'd have to tell him about what happened and get him to come see the thing, tell him I'd been the one who…

It all came flooding back at once, memories I had already forgotten about:

_Hey…Derek?" He looked up from the ancient tome resting on his lap. "Remember wh-when you looked up what I was? It was a long time ago, but…"_

"_Yeah," he grunted. "__Necromancer. __Why?"_

"_Did you… ever f-find anything else out? Maybe that book you checked in was lacking some of the details...it was pretty old, after all. Did you ever find out anything new? Because…well, I sorta have a feeling that this ghost-whispering thing isn't it, you know?"_

_He stared at the book in his lap with a blank look in his eyes. "Derek?" I repeated_.

"_No… I…ugh…never found out anything else."_

Had he been keeping this from me all along? Had he known what I was capable of?

All signs were pointing to 'yes'.

*******

My anger kept me going, giving me the fuel I needed to make it home without stopping.

_How could he do it? How could he?_

I recognized my driveway looming into view and stopped running, heading straight for the backyard instead of bothering with the front door.

Derek was already there, waiting behind a tree near the edge of the backyard.

"Hey," he said, not noticing the expression on my face and uncrossing his arms. "Where have you been?"

"You knew!" I said, not bothering with a greeting. "You knew about all of this!"

His eyebrows knitted together in confusion, but his eyes said something else: he knew what I was talking about. "What are you talking about, Chloe? What did I know about?"

"Don't bother with the bullshit, Derek. I know you know what I'm talking about!"

His expression turned serious. "What did you do? What happened?"

"You tell me! Or better yet, let's ask Lazarus the kitten, who somehow managed to return from the dead!"

His eyes widened. "You… you actually raised it?"

"Raised…? What are you talking about?" I demanded.

"Necromancers, they… they 'raise' zombies. They re-animate the corpses of creatures by bringing back their spirits," he explained.

I took a few deep breaths, trying to find a way to keep my voice steady. "You knew about this all along, didn't you?"

He nodded slowly.

"What in God's name gave you the impression that it would be a good idea to keep this from me?" I asked angrily. "What gave you the right to hide something like that from me?"

"I was only trying to protect you, Chloe."

"_Protect _me?!"

"Yes! You never showed any signs of being able to… to do any of that! What could I possibly have achieved by telling you about something like that?"

"Hmmm… let's see, shall we? Maybe if I'd known, I wouldn't even have gone near the damn thing and we could have avoided this whole mess!" I could feel the nausea returning tenfold – talking about this was definitely hazardous to my health. "This is all your fault, Derek!"

I spun around and began making my way back to the front yard, intent on finding the kitten again and bringing it back to show him.

He was going to help me fix this, whether he liked it or not.

"You shouldn't have gone near it in the first place!" he called suddenly. "Why would you hang around a corpse, Chloe? Why would you _touch _it?" I could hear the disgust in his voice, and I felt it deep inside of me, even though I _knew_ my reason for approaching it. "Does death… fascinate you or something?"

I stopped dead in my tracks and spun around to face him. He was standing with his arms folded across his chest near our usual spot, his expression unreadable. "Fascinate me…?"

_If my best friend can think things like that about me…_

I swiped at the tears and tried to keep my voice as steady as possible. "You know what Derek? Screw you."

***** **

I somehow managed to make it back to the front yard, though I could hardly see through the barrage of tears assaulting my eyes.

_How could he think things like that? He knows everything about me! He has to know I would never…_

And then, so quietly I almost didn't realize where it came from: _Maybe he's right?_

_No! He can't be! He doesn't-_

_But you weren't disgusted by it like everyone else would be – you got closer! You touched its lifeless shell, brought it back from the depths-_

I vomited violently into a bush, holding my hair back with shaky hands as the vile images from earlier in the afternoon appeared in my mind again…

_Monster - that's what you are._

I felt a hand on my shoulder. "Chloe?"

"Leave me alone," I moaned.

"I'm not gunna leave you alone, Chloe. You need help-"

I shrugged off his hand and stood up, spitting into the grass and whipping my mouth with the back of my hand. "I don't need your help, jackass."

He grimaced, like I'd slapped him or something. "I'm sorry about what I said back there, really. Just let me help you, Chloe!"

"Why should I? You think I'm a monster," I spat.

"I didn't mean it! I was just angry."

"You meant it," I said. "You always do."

***** **

Derek followed me all the way to the clearing.

"This is it?" he asked, astounded.

I didn't answer him, just kept searching; hoping that by some miracle the poor thing would be gone…

It hadn't moved an inch since I last saw it. It was still lying in the exact same position, broken and mangled. I made my way over tentatively, not rushing it in case I came off as too eager.

Derek cursed under his breath behind me. "You really did it, didn't you?"

I rolled my eyes. _Well, obviously!_

He came closer, stopping less than 10 feet behind me. "Do you remember how you did it?"

"No."

"How can you not remember?!"

I shot him the dirtiest look I could muster up.

"Okay, okay, I get it! I guess we'll just have to go by trial and error…"

"Don't your fancy books say anything about this?" I asked bitterly.

"Not really; they just say to concentrate on pulling the spirit out of the body or something."

"Oh, now _that _really narrows it down!"

"Just try, please?"

I nodded, shutting my eyes tightly and imagining myself pulling the kitty's spirit away from its body. I concentrated hard, focusing so much of my energy into it that I began to sweat profusely.

I imagined the spirit as a sort of string, tugging on it mentally until the corpse had unravelled. I imagined myself setting it free, letting it drift away and disappear… I imagined it calling my name as it faded-

"Chloe! Can you hear me? Chloe?"

I opened my eyes and sat up, realizing I was on the floor. "Where is it?" I asked frantically. "Did it work?"

"Uh…I think so." He pointed to where the body of the kitten was lying, unmoving and finally still.

I rested my head in my hands, wanting nothing more than to go home and fall into my plushy pink bed but knowing I needed to calm down before I got anywhere near Lauren and Andrew. My head was pounding, and the nausea was back again.

"Chloe?"

I groaned. "What do you want, Derek?"

"You know I'm sorry, right? About everything. I never meant to say what I did, it just… slipped out, and I… I know it's entirely my fault. I should've told you, even if it didn't look like you would ever find out. It was stupid and selfish and idiotic and sneaky and-"

"Derek?"

He breathed a sigh of relief. "Yeah?"

"You're forgiven, okay? Now, I'm begging you, please_, shut up_!"

---

**A/N: Guys, I'm pretty sure this chapter was longer than the last one!**

**Ouch. I'm gunna go ice my hand and watch Criminal Minds :P Again, sorry about the lateness of the update (although the length of this one kinda makes up for it) and don't forget to vote in the pole before next Wednesday!**

**Review please, guys!**


	9. Nightmares I

**Author's Note**: Heeeeeeeeeey guys… how's it going? Good? Yeah? You seem a bit… angry, and I think I know why, but hear me out! I know I only said one week and it's been almost 4, but it was practically impossible to update until now… have you noticed that teachers tend to pile on the homework before Christmas break? You understand, right? Am I forgiven? No?! Well, can you maybe… put down the pitchforks so we can talk about this? :D

A few side notes: In a few days ago I'll be posting the teaser for Chapter #1 of the sequel to The Finding! Add me on twitter (sch_94) to get access to it and a bunch of other teasers! Also, I need ideas for the title, so leave your suggestions as comments on my livejournal! :)

Also, go check out the one-shot I wrote for SpencerReidFan89! It's filled with lemony goodness, and for those of you who already have or will: please leave a review! I don't wanna sound whiney guys, but I worked really hard on that thing, and all I'm asking for is some feedback. Sound good? ;)

***One last thing! (Sorry, but it's been a while!) I really want a banner for this story and for The Finding, so if anyone knows how to make em, I'll be willing to trade a custom one-shot for each banner. If more than one person offers, I'll choose the best ones for each. Does anyone wanna give it a shot? If so, PM me or mention it in your review!

So, without further ado, here's the long (waaaay too long) awaited Chapter Nine!

---

**Disclaimer:** Steph and Christina have been partying a _bit _too hard…

Steph: And then I told him, I told him – your hair looks soooo shiney!  
*Strokes Christina's head*

Christina: *Smiles*  
Hey… Steph? Did you… did you realize that there's only gunna be one zero in the year from now on? Now no one can draw those stupid googily eyes anymore!  
*Hiccups*

Steph: *Mouth open in shock*  
Yeah, that's… hey, wait, wait. There's still gunna be two zeros in the year! It's 2010!  
*Gives Christina a _look_*  
How drunk are you exactly?

Christina: *Looks offended*  
I'm not drunk!  
*Starts laughing hysterically*  
Hehe! That sounds funny… drunk!

Steph: You gotta prove it, man! Cause you _sound _drunk!

Christina: *Giggling insanely and hiccuping*  
Okay, maybe… maybe I am, but I'm not d-drunk enough to think you own DP, and I'm _definitely_ not drunk enough to t-think you won't be using this as your next d-disclaimer! SO THERE!

Steph: *Looks at Christina with tears in her eyes*  
Why... why you gotta be like that, man? Why do you have to crush my dreams?  
*Chugs rest of champagne glass in an attempt to drown her sorrows*

**The sad thing is, this conversation actually happened this way.**

**---**

**Nightmares **

_In its early stages, insomnia is almost an oasis in which those who have to think or suffer darkly take refuge from the creatures that haunt them._

-Sidonie Gabrielle

**Fifteen Years Old**

Things hadn't been great for me since I'd found out about my additionally abilities. I was constantly on edge and hardly slept, terrified of what might happen while I was unconscious. A lot had happened since the kitten incident, and on more than one occasion I'd been awaked by the sound of things clawing at my window, trying to get in. I felt powerless - like I didn't even have control of my own body - and before long, the feelings of utter helplessness began to take their toll.

Derek tried to help me, but I never felt safe anymore, and whenever I tried to fall asleep, I was haunted by the visions of things I'd seen and heard, and when I was awake, I was haunted by the nagging thoughts in the back of my mind; I hadn't seen my mother in almost a year, and I had the feeling something was going on…

Sleep was an unattainable goal.

The bags under my eyes were proof of that.

"That's it, Chloe! We are getting you help, whether you like it or not!" Lauren had obviously seen through my carefully crafted façade, but I couldn't let her worry. Besides, how would I explain _this _to _her_?

I sighed. "Lauren, for the hundredth time, I don't need help! I'm perfectly fine!"

She lowered her voice slightly. "Chloe, sweetheart… you have begs under your eyes, you're constantly mumbling in your sleep, and you hardly speak to us anymore! There's obviously something bothering you, hun!"

"It's just school!" I lied. "It's almost the end of the semester, and the teachers are really piling it on… trust me Lauren, it's just _stress_!"

She looked me up and down slowly - a suspicious glare distorting her features - before finally sighing and relaxing her stance. "Promise me, Chloe. Promise me you're _not_ lying to me; no, better yet, promise me you'll come tell me if you ever feel something's wrong with you."

"I promise, Lauren. Please don't worry about me anymore! I'm fine, really." I hugged her tightly. "Maybe… maybe we can start doing movie night again?" I suggested, in an offhand attempt at changing the subject. "I really miss Andrew's _Godfather _impression!"

"Sure sweetie!" She checked her watch. "Darn it! I have to run or I'm gunna be late! We'll talk about this later, alright?"

"Kay," I mumbled. I watched as she scurried around frantically, searching for her purse and keys and then racing out the door the moment she collected them.

I exhaled the second I heard the door slam. _Dammit! She's way too observant! _I picked at my cuticles – a nervous habit I'd picked up from Simon, who – it seemed - I hardly saw these days. _She can't find out. She can't!_

I stood up and made my way back to my room, positioning myself in front of the full-length mirror. _Do I really look that bad? Were my efforts to hide _that _transparent?_

I studied the image in the mirror – sunken eyes and barely-hidden bags… _Lovely. I'm 15 going on 60._

I sighed and turned away from the glass, trying to compose myself. _No need to get angry... I'll just have to try harder. Now, where did I put that concealler again? _

*******

I was still digging through my make-up bag when I heard a knock at the window.

I pulled back the curtain and unlocked the door, smiling at the look on Simon's face. He stuck his tongue out and made a face, and I couldn't help but laugh - his goofy grin was contagious, no matter what mood you were in.

I pulled the door open and ushered him in, scouring the backyard for any sign of Derek before shutting it disappointedly. "Where's Derek?" I asked anxiously.

"Hello to you too!" he said sarcastically, rolling his eyes before pulling me in for a hug. "How long has it been since I saw you, Chloe? Two weeks? More?"

"It's only been a week and a half, Simon. Now, can you please let go of me?" I begged. "I can't breathe."

"Oops." He relinquished his vice grip on me and went to go sit on the bed.

Not wanting to sound too anxious, I waited a few seconds before trying again. "So… Derek didn't feel like coming with you?" I asked innocently.

"No. He said he was doing 'research' and that I should go on ahead. He's gunna try to make it next time, though."

I nodded absent-mindedly. _What could he be doing?_

"It seems like you guys don't see each other that much anymore," Simon said. "Derek hasn't come with me the past three times I visited… is he mad at you or something?"

I shrugged. Derek and I still hadn't told Simon about our visits every night, and by the looks of things, telling him would definitely cause some problems. "As long as he doesn't miss next week, I'm fine with it," I assured him.

"Are you kidding? He's not missing your sweet sixteen, Chloe; I'll kick his ass if he tries!"

I had to laugh – the thought of Simon, slender and average height facing off against the behemoth otherwise known as Derek was just too funny to process.

"Tone it down there, Rambo! He'll be here, trust me – he never misses my birthday."

"Neither do I!" he exclaimed with a mock-pout.

I rolled my eyes. "Yes, and I love you for it. So what's Derek researching, anyway?"

"Werewolves, I think."

"Oh… that's cool," I said, trying to hide my disappointment. I had been hoping that Derek would find a way to stop my powers from manifesting themselves at night, but apparently I wasn't as high up on his priority as I'd thought…

"Chloe?

I blushed, embarrassed. "Sorry about that, Simon. I just kinda zoned out there for a minute."

"It's alright. I was just gunna ask you something, but I don't know if-"

"No, no! You know you can ask me anything, Simon! What's the question?"

He looked around the room, refusing to meet my gaze. "I feel like a complete douche-bag for asking, and it's probably none of my business, but… is there something going on between you and Derek?" he finally blurted.

I was both shocked and a little bit confused. _Does he mean romantically, or just the secret visits? _I wondered. _And when did Simon suddenly become so observant?_

Either way, the only way to avoid any awkwardness was to deny everything.

"No way!" I forced myself to giggle superficially – like some airhead cheerleader - something I had sworn I would never do. "Me and _Derek_? Are you serious, Simon?"

"I told you it was a stupid question," he mumbled.

"Trust me Simon, there is absolutely _nothing _going on between Derek and I," I told him, hoping he'd buy it and change the subject.

"I do trust you! It's just… you would tell me if there was, wouldn't you?" he ask, cocking his eyebrow at me suspiciously.

"Definitely; you know I wouldn't hide something like that from you!" I promised, smiling. _Can we please change the subject now? _

He nodded thoughtfully behind looking up at me again. "No offense, Chlo, but you look kinda out of it. Are you feeling sick or something?"

I was touched by his concern but there was just too much to explain, so I gave him the same excuse I gave Lauren – though I did modify it slightly. "Yeah, I'm just kinda stressed out about school and stuff… no big deal, although it would be easier if I didn't have Lauren and Andrew to worry about as well. They still think I need to see a therapist or something," I lied.

"What'd you do this time?" he asked.

"I think it was the bags under my eyes. Apparently a lack of make-up is grounds enough to have me committed," I said dryly.

"Really?" he smiled and held out his wrists. "Then let me be punished for my crimes!"

I shook my head. "Sorry to tell you this, but that wasn't even remotely funny."

He shrugged. "Meh; at least I tried, right?"

"You just keep telling yourself that, Simon… as long as it gets you to sleep at night."

"I guess I'll have to..."

"Yupp."

The banter died down after a while, and we were left sitting in the middle of an awkward silence. I tried to busy myself with little tasks like straightening up my desk and organizing my homework pile, but it didn't matter – Simon was thinking long and hard about something, and it seemed as if he'd forgotten I was there…

Finally, he snapped out of it and came to stand beside me. "So I was thinking… how would you like your birthday present a week early?"

"Are you joking or something? You didn't bring anything with you except your sketchbook," I said, pointing to where it lay closed on my bedside table. He smirked before it finally dawned on me. "You drew me a sketch?" I whispered, genuinely touched that he had done something so thoughtful. Simon was always sketching, but he never let Derek or I see what he was working on…

He laughed lightly. "I guess you could say that."

I crossed the room and picked up the book, almost giddy with anticipation. "Can I open it, or do you not want me to see the other ones?"

"Just open it Chloe."

I did, and was a bit confused by what I found. There was a picture that looked like it'd been drawn by a third grader – a portrait of a smiling girl with blond hair and blue eyes, drawn by someone who obviously had some potential. "Is this me?" I breathed.

"Keep turning."

The next one was also in full colour, though the lines were crisper and darker now. There could be no mistaking the resemblance now, although I looked better in the sketches – it was definitely me.

As I continued to turn the pages, I found myself starring down at what looked like a progression of "Chloe through the ages". There was me, sitting cross-legged on the boulder next to the pool; and me - leaning against a tree with one of my director's magazines; and me - making a face at Derek when he wasn't looking… I was smiling and happy in every picture, and it seemed as if the artist had drawn me without any faults.

"Holy crap! Simon, this is the best thing anyone's ever given me!" I gushed, knowing it wasn't enough.

"There's still one more page," he whispered, opening to the one I'd missed.

It was blank. "I don't get it," I said, turning around. "This one's-"

And then, without warning, he kissed me.

I kissed him back, not knowing what else to do. It was unexpected, but still nice, and the gentle tingling in my lips was rather enjoyable…

_What the hell is going on here?_ I wondered. My head was spinning and my ears were buzzing…

Which is probably why I didn't hear the door open…

I heard it close, though, a few seconds later, which prompted me to pull away. "What was that?" I asked.

He bit his lip. "Maybe Derek finished early?" he suggested. I felt a sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach, realizing I'd almost forgotten about Derek.

_Shit! Did he see all of that?!_

"I'm gunna go see if I can find him," he said. "Call me tonight, okay?"

"Sure," I mumbled, my good mood gone. He kissed me on the cheek swiftly and ran out the door.

The minute he was gone I collapsed on my bed. _What the hell did I just get myself into? _I wondered after a few minutes. _And why do I feel so guilty?_

I got up and began pacing. _Will Derek still come tonight? Or will it be too awkward for him…?_

I picked up my cell-phone and started dialing, hoping they'd be home by now. The guilt was getting really bad, and I still had no idea why, although I had a feeling… _Don't go there. It's not like that for him, and you know it._

No, Derek definitely wasn't _jealous_. He was probably just giving us some privacy…

"Hello?" The person on the other line answered in a gruff tone.

"Um… hi Derek. Listen, I don't know what you saw, but-"

"Do you want me to get Simon?" he asked, obviously annoyed.

"No, I just wanted to check if you were still coming tonight," I lied.

"Do you still want me there? Or would you prefer I sent Simon?" he asked calmly.

I felt like banging my head against the wall. "No, I wouldn't. I really need to talk to _you_."

"If it's to explain or something, you don't have to. It's none of my business, and I'd rather not know, thanks."

I sighed. "Just get your ass over here at 8, ok?"

I could most hear him rolling his eyes. "Fine."

I glanced over at the clock – 5 pm.

I only had 3 hours to figure this out.

***

After three hours of going over it in my head, I still had no answers whatsoever.

I felt the helplessness creeping back, making me feel more than a little bit terrified – if I couldn't even figure out what was going on with my best friends, how was I supposed to figure anything _else_ out?

I was outside now, leaning against the truck of a tree and waiting for Derek. I checked the clock every few minutes, wondering if he'd decided to stay home. _He'd never do that, _I scolded, trying to convince myself. _Unless he hates me for kissing his brother…_

"Are you crying?"

I jumped at the voice, having been so engrossed in my own thoughts. "Nice of you to finally show up," I said instead of answering, wiping away the tears with my sleeve. "I've been waiting for almost 45 minutes. What took you so long?"

"I was here half an hour ago," he said, "but it seemed like you wanted to be alone… which brings me back to my question: why were you crying?"

I glared at him. "Because I just had the most confusing day of my life, and I can't take it anymore," I admitted.

"Confusing how exactly? It seems pretty simple to me…"

"Shut up, will you? You have absolutely no idea what's going on!"

"Enlighten me then," he challenged, sitting down a few feet away.

I leaned back against the tree, closed my eyes, and crossed my arms. "The thing with Simon was a mistake."

He snorted, like it was funny; I ignored him and kept going.

"It was a mistake. I should've stopped him, because I don't know what he wants, and I _definitely_ don't want to lead him on."

He nodded slowly, still wearing the same expressionless mask, so I continued. "My best friend is being a complete jackass," I said. "He's mad at me, but he won't tell me why." I opened my eyes and looked at him, hoping to convey some of the frustration I was feeling. "He's probably gunna make up some bullshit lie when I ask him, and I'll pretend to believe it, because that's how it works with us, but soon I'll start to wonder, and then I'll regret not saying anything sooner," I admitted. "And that, _dear sir_, is why I was crying."

His eyes were wide with shock. "Chloe, that's not even-"

"Why are you mad at me?" I asked.

"I'm not mad!"

"Really? Are you telling me those mood swings are _normal_?"

"I do _not_ have mood swings!"

I cocked my eyebrow at him. "Is that really all you got out of everything I just said?!"

He got up, walked over, and sat down next to me. "I'm not mad at _you_."

"You're mad at _Simon_?" I asked, astonished; I had never seen Derek and Simon argue, or even say anything mean to one another…

"Yeah, I guess… Wait, no. Not him, more like the situation," he clarified.

"What situation, exactly?" I asked, sensing that he was finally going to tell me something important.

He exhaled and closed his eyes. "There's a war going on."

"Uh, yeah… everyone knows that; Iraq, Afghanistan, Africa. I'm already to date with current events, Derek."

"Not that kind of war! This is more of a cold war – one that no one knows about."

"Explain please."

"Listen, I know I haven't been telling you everything-"

"Obviously!"

"-but you need to know that I did it to keep you safe. I knew if I told you what was going on, you'd want to get involved, and Simon and I both agreed that it'd be better to keep you out of the loop until it was absolutely necessary to tell you."

I was shocked. Had Simon been in on this all along? How long had they been keeping this from me? How long had they been a part of something I knew absolutely nothing about…?

"Who's fighting this war?" I asked. "What's it all about?"

"There's this group – they call themselves the Edison Group – who think that people like us shouldn't have to hide their abilities from the rest of the world. They believe that supernaturals should use their abilities to gain an advantage over normal humans."

"Wait, why do they call themselves the _Edison_ Group?"

"Well, it's a pretty well known fact that Thomas Edison believed he could communicated with the dead using some sort of 'spirit phone', and they think he may have been trying to figure out how a necromancer is able to contact the dead. They practically _worship _the guy – according to my dad, it's almost like a cult."

"Lemme get this straight; there's some freaky cult trying to take over the world because they're sick of hiding their magic powers, and they think Thomas Edison is the next Buddah?"

"Pretty much, yeah."

"That's pretty f-ed up," I said with a smile, attempting to lighten the mood.

He didn't appreciate the effort. "Which is why you weren't supposed to know in the first place, Chloe."

"How did you find out?" I asked, feeling really left out of the loop. "Am I the only supernatural who doesn't know anything about this stuff?"

"My dad told me. He used to be high up in the ranks," he explained. "He was a pretty big deal until he realized what they were doing was wrong. After that he left and joined up with the rebellion - which he's now in charge of – and went into hiding."

My mouth hung open as I began to put the pieces together. "So those 'raids' you go on…"

He nodded, not meeting my eyes. "Those are low risk compared to a lot of the other stuff I've been forced to do over the years," he said gravely.

_Could he mean…?_ The terrifying thought began to form in the back of my mind, but I wouldn't let it through. _No, not Derek; he wouldn't even kill a spider, for God's sakes!_

"How does this connect back to you being mad at Simon?" I asked, trying to figure out how the two topics could possibly be related.

He sighed. "We were supposed to wait until after your birthday to tell you this, because we knew you'd get mad, but-"

"Just spit it out," I begged, suddenly anxious.

"Someone's after us," he breathed. "We thought they'd given up looking for us a few years ago, but now they're searching actively again, and my dad's getting uncomfortable."

"Uncomfortable?"

"He says we've been here too long, and that we to need to-"

_Please don't say it, _I begged him internally. _Please don't-_

"…relocate."

I could swear I heard the whole crashing down around me.

"You're… leaving?"

"I don't want to, but my dad thinks-"

"Convince him to stay!" I yelled, angry at his lack of resolve, angry that he'd hid this from me. "Tell him you refuse to leave!"

He looked at me with sad eyes. "Chloe, I can't do that. We're in legitimate danger here, and it would be better for us to disappear for a while until this all dies down…"

"And that's why you're mad at Simon? Because he did what he did when he _knew_ he only had so much time?"

"That's the gist of it I guess," he said, scratching his head.

Another piece seemed to fit into this screwed up puzzle of ours. "This war; these people… is this what my mom was trying to warn me about?"

He nodded. "Probably."

"Then I'm coming with you guys," I told him.

"You can't," he said calmly.

"I'm pretty sure I can."

"You don't get it! These people have probably been after you your whole life, Chloe! They want necromancers, and since you're most likely the only one in the state, that means you're at the top of the list! They're going to study you, and test you, and experiment on you, and they're not going to stop looking until they find you! At this point the only thing keeping you from being found is the fact that you haven't used your powers on anything bigger than a rabbit!"

"What does that matter? I don't have to use my powers if I don't want to!"

"Like you haven't been using them at night?" he looked apologetic for a moment, realizing what he'd said. His voice softened slightly. "Chloe, in our situation, we rely on our abilities to keep us alive, and yours-"

"Are useless, disgusting, and unstable?"

"You know I don't mean it like that," he said sadly.

"So you're just gunna leave me here?" I asked in a quiet voice. "You would really do that to me?" I felt like my heart was being ripped out of my chest, and I hoped my voice wasn't giving that away…

"Don't cry please. We'll come back eventually, and we can still talk on the phone and stuff…"

"People always say that, but it never works out. I might as well cry now and get it over with, Derek." He looked like _he _was the one who was about to cry when I said that, and I almost laughed at the thought – had I ever seen Derek cry? I didn't think so; he had always been the rock, the stable one in the middle of a crisis. Whenever something was wrong with Simon or I, Derek was the one we went to for help. Had a few tears actually managed to find their way through?

I grabbed his hand and entwined our fingers, pretending not to have seen the tears and almost laughing at the enormous difference in the sizes of our hands. His hand was warm, and I moved closer, hoping being near him would warm me up. We sat like that for a while, and I treasured the moments, knowing we only had so much time left.

I began to yawn, having only slept 3 hours the night before. I don't remember how it'd happened, but minutes later I was leaning into his side and closing my eyes, trying not to think about our imminent separation as I began drifting off.

*******

I woke up the next morning leaning against something hard. _Dammit. Must've fallen off the bed again,_ I thought.

I could hear something in the background – someone breathing slow and hard. My eyes shot open.

_Holy shit!_

I wasn't in my bed; I wasn't even in my room. I was leaning against Derek, who was fast asleep against a tree, in the _backyard_. _Did we spend the whole night out here? _I wondered.

_Wait, the whole night? I slept through the night?!_

I closed my eyes and leaned against him again, wishing I'd stayed asleep longer. _Why didn't I have any nightmares last night? _I stared up at him, thinking that _maybe_...

_Could it have been because of him?_

I closed my eyes and let my mind wander, trying to come up with a possible explanation for what had occurred. I tried to concentrate, sorting through the possible reasons in my head, but I kept feeling the strangest sensation, almost like a cross between a chill and a prickling feeling…

It was then that I realized the familiar sensation: someone was there.

Someone was watching us.

I opened my eyes an infinitesimal amount, hoping to be able to look around without being acknowledged by whoever it was. I spotted a figure a few feet away, leaning against a tree. They were slender and not very tall, and there was something nagging at me, telling me: _you should know this!_

_Wait… is that Simon?_

There was no mistaking the spiky blond hair, too full to belong to an adult. It took my mind a few seconds to catch up to my eyes, but I eventually realized what was wrong with this picture – I was still leaning against Derek.

_Shit. Shit. SHIT._

I began to panic. _He knows! What's he going to do? Is he gunna go ballistic? Should I try to explain, or wait for Derek to wake up? _

In the midst of all that, I was still hyper-aware of the uneasy feeling I was still experiencing. I knew it wouldn't be coming from Simon – this was like the feeling you got around strangers, not people you've known for years, even if they _are _mad at you…

Derek began to stir, and his arm moved off me.

He must've opened his eyes, because a few seconds later, I heard him address his brother nervously. "S-Simon? What are you-"

"What am I doing here? I think I'm the one who should be asking you that, bro."

"Simon, nothing happened. I just came over to apologize, and I dozed off afterwards," he explained quickly.

"Don't even try - I'm not stupid, Derek. I know this wasn't the first time you snuck off to see her."

I froze, and I'm pretty sure Derek did as well.

"What are you talking about, Simon?"

"Did you seriously think I wouldn't notice that you left home at 8 every day and didn't come home until past 3am?"

Derek remained silent.

"Did you think that I didn't know about how close you guys have become? I can see it every time I come to see Chloe – she doesn't even stop to say hi before asking about you!"

Not a word from Derek, and Simon continued.

"I kept telling myself that you would never do that, because you knew how I felt about her, and I thought you were a good brother. I told myself you were going for a run, or walking around town, or _something_; but then I followed you here one night, and you spent hours with her, just _talking, _like it was no big deal that you were betraying me!"

"Simon, I-"

"And then, instead of going home, you hid in the forest and just sat there, watching her house!" He paused to catch his breath, giving me some much needed time to process the information. _Derek has been watching my house at night? Why would he-_

"I watched you set a fire and burn something. What was it, Derek?"

"A rabbit," he mumbled. Then, despite my grogginess, it all clicked.

_He's been cleaning up my messes every night. Whenever I raise something, he gets rid of it._

My head was spinning again - but this time, not in a good way.

"That's sick," Simon spat, sounding furious.

I knew I should intercede – explain everything to Simon; come to Derek's defense; keep them from arguing – but I was a coward, so I kept my eyes shut and listened.

"You had no right to do this, Derek. You had no right to go behind my back-"

"She needed someone to talk to, Simon! Couldn't you see she was falling apart?"

_Ouch. Thanks._

"Don't give me that bullshit, Derek. You only came for your own selfish reasons."

_What reasons could Derek possibly have? _I wondered._ He's practically a full-time babysitter! What reasons could he have for wanting that?_

"You're right."

I stiffened. _What the hell is going on here?! _I asked myself, for the second time in two days. I was beyond confused at this point, and the prickling feeling was still making its presence known on the back of my neck…

The guilt was there too, almost more powerful and potent than the other feeling. This was all my fault; these two brothers - who had never even said something rude to one another - where now in the middle of a heated argument, all because of me.

"I'm done here, Derek. I can't be around someone who would betray their own brother the way you have."

"Simon, nothing ever happened! I was just watching out for her!"

"Goodbye Derek. I hope you two are very happy together," Simon said monotonously. It sounded eerily final to me, as if he was-

"He's gone."

I opened my eyes. "Go after him," I suggested, feeling even guiltier because Derek had known I was awake the entire time. "Tell him I want to talk to him;_ make him _believe you!" I said urgently. I had the feeling something horrible was about to happen, and I knew if Derek didn't hurry…

He got up without another word and ran after his brother, leaving me alone in the clearing, with nothing but my guilt and the uneasy feeling that had spread over my entire body.

I had probably destroyed the relationship between them, and all I did was sit back and watch them argue. I hoped that they would be able to work things out one day – that their friendship hadn't been complete and irreversibly damaged – but I had a sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach that I had only gotten once before… almost 6 years earlier.

I took stock of the situation.

Simon was furious with both of us and probably heartbroken. Derek and I had betrayed his trust for years, and he knew it.

Derek had been left to deal with the situation alone because of my cowardice, and now he and Simon had a canyon-sized rift between them that needed to be fixed. Derek would do anything to make Simon forgive him – even end our friendship – and _I_ knew it. He would do whatever it took to appease Simon - whatever it took to make things better – even avoiding _me._

Deep down, I felt my heart shatter into a billion little pieces.

I had lost my parents…

I had lost Simon…

And now I had lost Derek as well.

And even though I'd apparently spent the whole night resting my head against his shoulder; knowing he was gone was tearing me up inside.

The verdict hadn't been announced, nothing had been decided, but deep down, I knew this was probably the last time I'd ever see either of them again.

---

Guys, this was probably the saddest chapter I've had to write for this story so far! No big deal though, right? The next one's sadder anyway… might as well suck it up.

Here's the deal: this chapter was way too long, so I had to split it up. Part II will be up before the end of the week, because I'm not done writing it yet, kay? Hopefully a double update helps me win your love back? Anyways, I want 25 reviews before I post the part II AND Chapter #1 teaser for The Finding's sequel. Deal? :D

**REVIEW!**


	10. Nightmares II

**Author's Note: Ok, so I know I said Wednesday, but RL was being impossible. Anyways, enjoy guys! Please remember to review, and forgive me if I don't update for a few weeks after this (I kind of need to pass my exams…). Anyways, the teaser for chapter 10 is up on my livejournal (sch-94 . livejournal . com) and the teaser for the sequel to The Finding will be up in a few hours if I manage to get 20 reviews for this chapter. Sound good? **

**Btw, has anyone read the fourth chapter of The Reckoning? I just finished reading it, and I'm so pumped for the rest :D **

**Random Fun Fact: My mother thinks I'm clinically depressed. She told me she wants me to see a counselor. Who knew? Anyways, after she told me that, I came upstairs to finish this. I guess I was inspired? (Thanks Mom!)**

**--- **

**Nightmares – Part II **

_I believe in everything until it's disproved. So I believe in fairies, the myths, dragons. It all exists, even if it's in your mind. Who's to say that dreams and nightmares aren't as real as the here and now?_

_-_John Lennon

I didn't call that night. As much as it killed me, I gave them their space, hoping that without me around, they'd be able to see how foolish they had been to fight over me and forgive each other. I knew I was asking for a lot; remembering the broken look on Simon's face… Derek and I had hurt him, and I knew it was nothing a bandage or an apology could mend right away. The guilt was overwhelming – knowing I had been the only thing ever to come between the brothers didn't exactly ease my guilty conscious, and I spent the next few days in a state of emotional turmoil.

I knew Derek wasn't going to visit, no matter how much I wanted him to. He had more important things to worry about, and after what happened with Simon, I was unsure if I would ever speak to him again, let alone _see_ him. My heart ached at the thought of never hearing him laugh at one of my odd questions, or seeing his eyes light up whenever he smiled. Just thinking about it was making my heart race, eventually causing a minor panic attack.

I didn't sleep that night, knowing that in my present state, I'd be sure to raise more than a few things better left undisturbed.

They never called, and I didn't blame them - If I had been in their position, I would probably be harboring a lot of resentment and regret… and probably staying as far away from the cause of the 'problem' as possible.

The next few days were hell, especially the nights. I had grown accustomed to having Derek around so often that I'd forgotten what it was like to have to hold back, to reign in your thoughts, actions, and emotions in order to look sane. I was eventually reduced to writing for hours in a tattered old notebook – I refused to use the journal Derek and Simon had given me, knowing now more than ever that I didn't deserve it _or _them. I wrote for hours, ignoring the searing, burning pain in my wrist, but even after the notebook was filled and my wrist was numb, I still felt the sting of loss.

How was I going to survive without them?

***** **

I received a phone call a few days later from Derek, telling me he and Simon wouldn't be able to visit anymore. I had expected that… it still didn't keep me from crying for hours after he hung up.

Lauren and Andrew noticed the change in me. They watched me anxiously, trying to figure what was going on and what they could do to help. I knew I was worrying them, but in all honesty, I no longer cared.

Seven days later – exactly one week after I had woken up next to Derek – they say me down and delivered the verdict: I was going to therapy.

I didn't bother arguing, fighting it… what was the point, anyway? The only two people who really knew me - understood what I was going through - were regretting ever meeting me, and I couldn't say I blamed them.

There was no reason to resist anymore, and I was tired of fighting alone.

Meanwhile, there was a part of my brain that was nagging me, torturing me; the voice was quiet at first, but as the days went on, it became louder and louder... _Maybe you are crazy. Maybe you _do_ need this. _

And sometimes, when I was at my very worst…_ You might as well join those poor souls you've been torturing lately. _

I was pretty sure I was going crazy.

I hadn't slept well in more than a week, and I often found myself fantasizing about that one blissful night when I'd made it through the entire night without a single nightmare. Even after a week of debating it with myself, I still couldn't figure out why I hadn't summoned anything the night I fell asleep outside with Derek.

The one thing I was sure of: it had something to do with Derek's presence.

*******

"Why, hello there! My name is Dr. Davidoff, and you must be Chloe!" I rolled my eyes and groaned inwardly at the reappearance of the 'hello there, little girl!" voice.

_Do all doctors use that tone with kids, or is it because I still look like a thirteen year old? _I wondered, as Dr. Davidoff made himself comfortable on his squeaky faux-leather chair. He pulled out my file and looked it over quickly before looking up at me.

After a few seconds of searching he took out his stereotypical yellow notebook and began to jot things down. "So, Chloe… it says here you've been exhibiting some symptoms of... let's see here…" he flipped back and forth between a few pages and wrote something down. "We spoke to your parents, and we've gotten their opinions, but I'd like to hear it from _you_ - is everything they told me true?" He gazed at me from across the room, and the feeling of his eyes on me made me want to shiver.

I felt like I was being examined, like some specimenin a collection.

I cleared my throat, hoping he'd look away. "Um… which part, exactly? Because I don't know what they told you."

He flipped to the page he was looking for and began to read. "_She's been talking to herself since she was ten. At first we thought it was just a phase - that maybe she'd grow out of it - but it kept happening, and at some points it sounded like she was having full-blown arguments with nobody. About a year and a half ago she became jumpy, and ever since then she's been waking up multiple times at night. She assures us that she's fine, but I'm worried. She's been acting so lost for the past few days, and I'm terrified that we let this go untreated for too long."_

I could feel the fear and anguish Lauren had been hiding come through the pages. _Has it really been that bad? Was it that obvious?_

"Well Chloe? Is this all true? Do you agree with these statements?" he asked eagerly.

_No!_

"Yes."

He nodded and wrote something. "I see… now, how long would you say you've been experiencing these symptoms?"

"A few years," I said vaguely.

"Since the accident, correct?" he probed.

"I can't remember."

"I see." He wrote something down and underlined it twice before looking up. "Would you describe these 'episodes' for me, Chloe? I think they might help me understand more about your situation, and talking about them could be beneficial."

I shrugged. "What do you want to know?" I asked,

"What do you see during these episodes?"

"My mother," I said honestly. "She speaks to me, gives me advice."

His pen was going a mile a minute now. "And would you say these encounters are vivid, or are they hazy and unclear?" He rolled his chair over to where I was sitting, stopping less than a foot away. He leaned in close, and I could smell the spearmint gum on his breath. "Do you ever feel tired, drained, or sleepy afterwards?" he whispered.

_What the hell…?_

"W-would you m-mind ba-backing up p-please?" I stammered - something I hardly did anymore.

He backed up immediately. "I'm sorry," he said, smiling at me. "I just wanted to make sure I got all of your symptoms down correctly." His smile was icy and reserved, and I found myself regretting ever setting foot in his office.

"W-what's your prognosis?" I asked in a business-like tone, tired of being treated like a four year old. He blinked a few times and flipped through my file again before answering.

"Well sweetheart, it looks to me like you have acute schizophrenia," he said gravely. He pouted - like it was actually making him sad to tell me this - but I could see the smile in his eyes.

"Schizophrenia?!" I asked incredulously. _Does he really expect me to believe that I'm schizo after everything I've been through? _I swallowed back the 'f-you!' I had been about to let out and smiled sadly, playing along. "Well, I'm glad we know what it is, at least. Is there any way to cure it?"

He put his hand over mine, and I shuddered at the contact. _Someone needs to learn to keep their hands to themselves… _"Unfortunately, there are no cures as of yet. There are, however, treatments that will help you feel like your old self again. Does that sound like something you'd be willing to try?" he asked.

I pulled my hand back and nodded vigorously. "As long as it helps," I said, hoping my acting skills wouldn't fail me. _Something's off about this guy… and it's not just the pedophilic tendencies, either._

"Now Chloe… I know this might all be difficult for you to absorb right now, but once you take a few days to think it over, I'm sure you'll come to realize that you do need help." He paused to give me one of those 'you-know-what-I'm-talking-about' looks. "I can sense that you don't think you belong here, as most patients do, but I think that in time you'll see that you really are sick, sweetheart, and that your parents just want what's best for you. You may think that no one understands, or that these episodes are _real_, but after a few days, you'll realize how sick you really were." He was practically ranting now, and I didn't interrupt. "These _things _you see… they're not real; you need to accept that if you want to get well again."I nodded slowly - trying to ignore what he was saying, not letting it phase me – but there was that little voice inside my head that felt the need to torture me further.

_You really are crazy! The doctor's telling you it to your face, and you're still denying it?_

_I'm not crazy!, _I snapped. _Simon and Derek are proof that I'm not. We have supernatural powers, and-_

_Has anyone other than you ever seen Simon or Derek? Does anyone but you know they exist? They have no school records, no birth certificates, no hospital records, no last known address… how do you know you didn't make them up yourself?, _the voce taunted, obviously not on my side. _Schizophrenics do that, you know… making up things and accepting them as reality. _

As much as I didn't want to believe any of it, the thoughts were already beginning to manifesting themselves inside my head. _Could they really have been figments of my imagination? Could I really be… sick?_

"Are you alright, Chloe? You look worried…"

I shook my head, answering both the voice and the doctor. _I'm not crazy! It's all true! I have _not_ spent the last 6 years talking to thin air!_

He stood up and gave me another creeper smile. "Here's your prescription; be sure to give that to your parents and have them fill it out. Take the medication for a few days, and then come back for a follow up, okay?" He patted the top of my head lightly. "Now, today's a Monday, and I usually make it a point to give my patients a whole week with the medication… but seeing as next Monday is your sweet sixteen, I think we should schedule something for this Thursday instead. Is that alright with you?"

"Sure," I mumbled before exiting, realizing that Monday was indeed my birthday and that I'd most likely be spending it alone… _unless Simon and Derek are really just figments of my imagination. If so, that means I've been spending every birthday alone anyway…_

_Enough! _I shook my head, pulled out my cell phone, and called Lauren.

***

_Dear Derek,_

_I'm writing this letter because you won't answer my calls, texts, or emails. I decided to write a letter because when you don't answer me, I won't be there to see it happen, and I'm hoping it'll hurt less that way. _

_At this point they've got me medicated and isolated. I've spent the past 3 days in my room watching old Alfred Hitchcock movies, wishing that you'd appear from out of the blue and tell me you and Simon have worked it out… I'm not counting on it though; you never were one for dramatics._

_The past couple of days have been utter hell. I go through every day asking myself, "did that really happen?" or "is that real?" almost every minute of the day. I have begun to seriously question my sanity, (or insanity, I guess you could say) and the saddest part is, I don't know why. I mean, how could I have just 'created' two people? How could I possibly believe that you and Simon are just little pieces of my mind come to life? The answer is I can't, and that's the problem._

_You guys don't exist; not figuratively, dad must've paid a lot to be sure of that… I googled your names, your address, your birth records – nothing. There are no Simon Baes or Derek Souzas in existence - according to the internet at least. I never told anyone about you (why would I have?) so I have no proof except the journal you gave me all those years ago… even that's not worth much. For all I know, I could've bought it at the mall myself and just imagined you and Simon giving it to me._

_I know what you'd say (maybe because it's what I'd say…) - I'm crazy for thinking this stuff, and you're probably right. I've told myself this a bunch of times, and just when I'm starting to feel better, I remember the day I searched my phone for your number - which I never found, even though I could've sworn it was in there - or my room for Simon's sketchbook. I remember the number of times I've called and gotten that stupid "this number is not in service" message, always delivered by that same robotic voice. I remember that it's supposedly been over a week and a half since you guys have visited me, and that the fight you're in got started because of me. _

_And then, after all that remembering, I start to forget._

_I forgot which side Simon's smiles tilt up. I forgot the sound of your laugh, which was something I promised I'd never forget. I memorized it, because I knew it was worth more than all the stupid math formulas in the world. I forgot which tree we used to sit at when we did homework… (was it the one next to the boulder, or the one behind the shed?). I've forgotten so much, and I don't know if it's due to the fact that it's been so long, or if the medication's starting to work, and I'm starting to realize that maybe you weren't real after all…_

_I'll never forget the day that I forgot the most important thing – I was watching some cheesy soap opera on CNN when I decided to try calling you guys again. The number was still out of service, and I could almost picture you rolling your eyes at my stupidity, calling twice a day when the line had obviously been disconnected... Something was off about the memory though, and it took me a while to figure it out, but eventually I did: no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't remember the exact shade of green of your eyes._

_I'm writing this letter because I need to know. If you're alive, if you're real… I'm begging you, give me a sign, for the sake of my sanity! If you're avoiding me because of Simon, show him this letter. Show him what a mess I am! He wouldn't stop you from answering if he knew._

_If you're not real, then… well, I'll have to keep living I guess. I'll just have to accept that half of my memories are false, that I'm probably way more messed up than I realize… maybe I'll get better one day? Who knows? At this point I'm struggling to make it through the day, because it feels like my heart's been ripped out and stomped on._

_I'm trying. I really am. Dr. Davidoff says I have to take it one day at a time, and I think that's the only way I'll be able to do it anyway (the guy is majorly creepy, but he has his moments). _

_You're not a cruel person, and neither is Simon. When you read this letter – if you read this letter – I need you to send me a reply. Please don't wait. _

_Please. I'm begging here Derek. I need to know._

_Love Chloe_

***** **

**Sunday Night**

I didn't sleep that night, although it wasn't for lack of trying.

I knew it was pointless to hope now. I had left the letter nailed to a tree a few days before, (hoping Derek would see it) and when I didn't receive a response, I decided it was time to give up. There was no Simon, and there was no Derek. There was only Chloe - alone, depressed, and (let's face it…) more than a little bit crazy.

I spent the last few hours of Sunday night awake in my bed, looking out onto the backyard and reminiscing about everything that'd supposedly happened there. The backyard was where _their _presence was the strongest, and when I looked out upon our favourite spots, I couldn't help but wonder how I'd managed to 'invent' such vivid memories.

I stared over at the clock. It read 11:57pm – three minutes until my sixteenth birthday.

Lauren and Andrew had insisted that we have some huge celebration, but I'd refused. Who would I invite? I had no friends, and people weren't exactly lining up for the chance...

I checked the clock again - only two minutes left.

I was counting the minutes, hoping, _praying _that I was wrong, that Derek and Simon would come to keep their promise to spend every birthday with me. If they were real… well, I knew they wouldn't let me down on my birthday of all days!

One more minute.

I began to feel nervous for some unexplained reason. I wiped off my hands on my pajama bottoms and scanned the backyard for any sign of movement, letting my gaze linger on the spot where I'd fallen asleep less than 2 weeks ago…

Had it really been less than 2 weeks? It felt like so much longer...

I glanced at the clock again; it was midnight, and I was officially sixteen.

I got out of bed and went to go stand by the window, searching the backyard for familiar shape or silhouette. There was no one there, just like every other night for the past two weeks.

I turned away from the window and made a beeline back to my bed, stopping to unplug the alarm clock on the way. I threw it under my bed angrily, ripping the electrical cord out in the process.

After destroying my alarm clock, I sat on my bed and cried for what felt like hours. This had been my last attempt – my last resort – and it had failed.

They weren't real. They never had been, and they never would be.

I was done hoping now.

***

I cried myself to sleep, vowing I'd never celebrate another birthday. _What's the point in celebrating someone's aging? Every birthday brings you closer to death, not farther away._

I slept uneasily - as I did every night– tossing and turning, afraid to give in fully to the darkness and the sleep that I so desperately needed. _Maybe I should invest in some sleeping pills. You get eight hours of sleep a night, and I hear you don't even have dreams!_

After a particularly rough dream, I gave up on sleeping, opting instead to just sit in my bed and read for a while.

After a few chapters, I looked up from the book and peered through the window, more out of habit than anything else…

I choked back a scream.

There was something making its way towards the house, it's slow, jerky movements both disturbing and pathetic. It was huge – probably some sort of animal – with what seemed to be deformed limbs.

I knew what it was, and I knew where it was going.

A zombie. A dead, decaying corpse. After almost two weeks without any incident, I'd almost forgotten about my strangely flamboyant hallucinations…

Whatever it was was on the stairs now, the sound of its footsteps on the balcony almost inaudible. I knew I shouldn't be frightened – it _was _only a hallucination, after all. I should just take my medicine and go back to sleep – but something deep down was telling me to take this seriously.

I pushed a few pieces of furniture in front of the door, attempting to make a barricade with what little I could manage to move. Then, feeling like a child, I pulled my comforter off the bed and wrapped myself in it before crouching behind the dresser. A few minutes passed, and I scolded myself mentally for being so foolish – had I really believed there was a zombie out to get me? Could I really have been that dumb?

There was a light knock at the window.

_You're imagining things, Chloe. There's nothing there. Stop acting like such an idiot!_

I stood up and shrugged off the comforter, returning it to its place on the bed before turning around to dismantle the barricade on the door leading to the patio.

There were eyes watching me from the other side of the door.

I stumbled, tripped, and fell backwards, landing on my hands and butt. _This isn't happening. It's just a hallucination! It's just a hallucination!_ I chanted.

It knocked on the glass.

_THIS IS NOT HAPPENING!_

I crawled backwards until I hit a wall. There were no weapons anywhere in reach, and I knew that Lauren and Andrew had locked away anything 'potentially dangerous'...

My fingertips brushed against the light switch and I pushed it on, startling whatever was watching me. The bright lights burned my eyes, but I didn't dare look away. The 'creature' wasn't a creature at all – it was a person.

Their clothes were torn in a few places, with bloody cuts showing through the tears in the fabric. They were bruised, and there were bones were sticking out in a few places. There was a deep gash on one of their legs, which was probably why they were limping…

The person moved closer to the door, and their face was illuminated by the light.

_Derek?!_

"Chloe, open-!"

He collapsed.

---

**A/N: *Smiles mischievously* So, what do you think? I really liked writing the letter… did you like reading it? Yes? No?**

**Anyways, the next chapter won't be up for two weeks (again, I kinda need to pass my exams, guys). The teaser for chapter 10 is up on my livejournal though, if you guys would like to read it (www. sch – 94 . com / livejournal ). **

**Please review, guys! I don't know if you know this, but I tend to get discouraged when I only get like, 5 reviews for a 10 000 word chapter, you know? :( **

**So please** **REVIEW!** **The teaser for the first chappie of the sequel to The Finding will be up on my livejournal in a few days if I can get 20 reviews for this chapter! :D **


	11. Cliches

**Author's Note:** Hayyye ladies (and gents?)!

How's it been? It feels like it's been forever, but it's really only been 3 weeks! (yeah, people-who-demand-updates-constantly! That one was directed at you! :P)

For teasers and stuff, add me on twitter (sch_94), or visit www . sch – 94 . livejournal . com. I posted the teaser for first chapter of the sequel to The Finding, so follow the link to my LJ and read it there! :)

Shoutouts to agony-fairy (yes, I agree, a blueberry is the fruity equivalent of Derek), vampiremom1221, JessiKa xoxo (I like spearmint too! :D Your story seriously made me lol!), bloodtoast (thank you for everything! Your review made my day!), burning (aka my accidental facebook friend :D), ayonne218 (my fellow angst-lover), FreyasWrath and Lilminnie. You guys are amazing, and I'm really sorry about the cliffie! (Well, not THAT sorry…you'll understand why once you read this chapter!)

Please excuse the over-use of brackets. I kinda had about a dozen cookies before sitting down to write this, and my words are all jumbling themselves up and I feel like I'm not explaining myself enough and… excuse my rambling too :) Btw, the disclaimer is hella long. Just thought you should know.

---

**Disclaimer: Christina and Steph are having a hard time spending Valentine's Day alone this year. They're taking a walk to clear their heads when Steph comes up with a suggestion… **

Steph: Christina, I think this year we should try dating other people.

Christina: Um… we're not dating, Steph. Did you forget your meds today?

Steph: Dude, common. We spend enough time together that it seems like we are! All I'm saying is, it's time to expand our horizons, see other people, read other books!

Christina: *Sniffles*  
Read other …? Whatever! I never liked you anyway!

Steph: Good!

*Starts walking away*

Christina: Fine!  
*Starts walking away*

**The doorbell rings at both houses, and the girls go to answer. A few minutes later…**

Steph: *Freaky slow motion run towards Christina*  
Christina! I love my candy gram! I'm sorry for saying we needed to see other people! I still love you, almost as much as that story that I don't own that I've been neglecting lately!

Christina: *Slow motion run towards Steph*  
Steph! I should never have let you go! You're the best thing that's ever happened to me!  
*Hugs Steph*

Steph: Happy Valentine's Day, BB!

Christina: Happy Valentine's Day!

Steph: *Pulls away from hug*  
By the way… I don't know if this is the right time to tell you this, but you know that guy I dated last month?

Christina: Yeah..?

Steph: He had crabs. Just thought you should know.

Christina: But we just had a sleepover last weekend! You slept in my bed!

Steph: Yeah. About that…  
*Smiles sheepishly*

---

**Clichés **

_There are often times when clichés are the only thing we can use to describe a moment in our lives._

_ That's what's so cliché about it. Even avoiding them is buying into it._

-Anonymous

---

I hesitated.

For like, a tenth of a second.

Once I came to my senses, I began shoving the furniture away from the door. When the path was clear, I flung it open as past as was humanly possible. Derek was lying face down on the balcony, and the sight of him bloody and broken like that broke whatever was still left of my heart.

_If this is a hallucination, then my mind is definitely trying to torture me._

I stepped out onto the balcony and kneeled down next to him, hoping he wasn't unconscious and that I could wake him up somehow. I began to shake him gently, praying he'd respond. My attempts to wake him became less gentle by the minute as the panic and fear I was already experiencing was joined by another feeling – the same evil presence I'd felt the day Simon had found Derek and I together in the backyard.

I shuddered violently at the memory, then forced myself to concentrate on the task at hand: getting Derek inside. It was obvious that he wasn't going to get up and walk inside…

I was going to have to drag him in myself.

_Good luck with that!_

I retrieved the comforter from where I'd dropped it on the chair and placed it next to Derek on the balcony. Trying to be as gentle as I could while getting the job done, I grabbed his ankles and maneuvered his legs onto the blanket. Having done that, I carefully tugged on his shoulders, pulling his torso onto the blanket as well. It took longer than I'd hoped, but I was eventually able to pull him inside.

_Note to self: develop some upper body strength when you get the chance._

I slammed the door shut and latched it once we made it back to my room, still weary of the feeling in the pit of my stomach. I began rushing around the room, looking for things like antiseptic and fabric bandages for his wounds. Lauren was a doctor and always made sure we had stuff like that on hand at all times, so I knew we'd have everything. I had all the supplies gathered after a few chaotic minutes; ice packs, bandages, and first-aid kit in hand I set to work, trying not to remind myself that it was Derek that I was trying to put back together…

_All the king's horses and all the king's men…_

I was methodical and meticulous, trying to make sure that I did everything the way Lauren had taught me. I tried to keep my mind occupied with happier thoughts, but the same thought kept flitting back into my head.

Someone had tried to kill Derek.

I disinfected every cut, covering them with ointment and bandages to encourage the healing process. I used liquid stitches on the deeper gash in his leg, pressing the edges of the cut together until the solution began to hold. I put a bandage over that too, wrapping it with a fabric bandage when I was done, just to be safe. There was nothing much I could do about the unnatural positions of the broken bones, but I did my best, setting them into the correct positions and wrapping them as tightly as I could without restricting the flow of blood.

After washing my hands thoroughly (Derek had explained the effects of werewolf saliva in the blood-stream, and I wasn't taking _any _chances) I returned to my room.

I still hadn't hit me yet – Derek was possibly dying on my bedroom floor, but all I could think was, _He's real! I'm not crazy after all! _I knew once I had the chance to process the information things would be different, but at that moment, I was blissfully ignorant of what was going on. It was probably better that way anyway – unless I wanted to go into shock or something.

His forehead was hot – almost painful to the touch – so I applied an icepack wrapped in a thin towel. I couldn't tell whether or not it was doing any good, but I left it on anyway, knowing it was what Lauren would do for any ordinary patient. I wished I could call her - get her advice – but she was still at the hospital, and as much as I wanted to, I knew Derek wouldn't want me to risk it.

I looked over at him – he was lying motionless on the makeshift bed I'd set up on the floor, unconscious and breathing heavily. He looked a hundred times better than he had when I'd first seen him through the door, but I still wasn't satisfied. I pushed my pillows up and rested my back against them, rubbing my eyes to keep myself awake. I'd made a promise with myself while I'd been helping Derek: my eyes weren't closing until he opened his.

_This is going to be a long night..._

***

Thirteen hours later, he began to stir.

I put down my pen and turned to watch; glad he was regaining consciousness, but also slightly worried because he would be feeling the pain of his injuries now that he was awake.

He moaned softly and I tensed, forgetting that we were home alone. I relaxed after a few seconds, reminding myself that Lauren was still at the hospital and that Andrew had already left for work. I returned to my writing, trying to re-focus on the scene I had been developing when I heard my name.

"Chloe…"

I looked over at Derek, who was still unconscious. He was moaning in his sleep, but there was nothing more I could do for him. I thought I'd heard him say my name, but… _I probably heard it wrong. He wouldn't be calling my name while he was asleep._

I put my journal away and crept out of my room, making as little noise as possible so as not to wake Derek. I scurried around the kitchen for a while, collecting a bottle of Tylenol, some food, and a few bottles of water to take back to my room. I was lucky to have found the Tylenol – after my 'diagnosis', Andrew and Lauren had subtly taken to hiding all of the prescription medication in the house; save for my anti-hallucination meds, of course.

I had taken _that _bottle out of the medicine cabinet and dumped the pills into the garbage disposal. _Never again. _

I was expecting to feel elated; excited to know I _wasn't _crazy, but all I felt was empty.

I made my way back to my room as quietly as possible, walking on my tiptoes to keep the floorboards from creaking loudly underneath me.

It was all in vain anyway. When I reached my room again Derek was still writhing around underneath the blanket, a light sheen of sweat on his forehead. I went back to the kitchen, grabbed some ice water and a facecloth, and laid it on his forehead, pushing his hair out of the way. I studied his face for his reaction, trying to figure out whether the water was too cold or not cold enough. After a quick inspection I noticed that the bruises underneath his eyes were lighter than they'd been last night, and I was almost afraid to hope that meant the rest of him was healing quickly too…

He groaned softly, scrunching his eyebrows. I paused for a second, waiting… he moved his left arm fractionally towards his eyes, then completed the journey and rubbed them. He then tried to move his other hand, muttering a few choice profanities when he felt the pain shooting up his arm; he did all of this with his eyes closed, and if he hadn't been in so much pain last night, I would have found it pretty amusing.

He didn't move again after that. I left the washcloth on his head, trying to keep busy by cleaning up the war zone that was my room. I shoved all the medical supplies into the bottom drawer in my desk – next to my journal – and did a load of laundry (the blood on the sheets would have made Lauren suspicious, although I probably could have written it off as a female 'incident'…).

Laundry basket in hand, I made my way to the kitchen to search for more non-perishable foods. I knew Derek ate a lot more than a regular person, so I was stalking up, knowing it would be a bad idea to let him go too long without food. Once I'd gathered what I thought was a good amount – enough crackers, granola bars, juice boxes to feed a few dozen kindergarteners - I staggered back to my bedroom.

He was awake, holding his bad arm to his side with the other arm and staring at the bandage on his leg.

"You're awake!" I exclaimed excitedly, dropping the supplies on my dresser and rushing to his side. I almost hugged him; until I remembered the probably-broken arm and ribs. I shrank back, holding my hands under my knees so I wouldn't be tempted to touch him. He stared at me blankly, as if he didn't understand what I was saying.

"D-Derek?"

"How did… how did I get here?" he asked in a hoarse whisper.

_How does he not remember this?_

"My room? I brought you in from the balcony after you passed out," I told him. "It wasn't easy, either," I teased. _Please don't have amnesia or something. That would be so cliché._

"What was I doing on your balcony?" he questioned, obviously not in the mood for jokes. I described the previous night's events, telling him about how I'd been asleep until I'd heard the disturbance outside. I told him about feeling that evil presence outside my door, and how I'd struggled to pull him inside all by myself. Then I described how I'd cleaned his wounds and tried to help him as best I could. He listened intently, his expression growing wearier as the story progressed.

"Do you remember what happened?" I probed gently.

"Yes," he said finally, running his hands through his hair. His eyes were focused straight ahead and he had a tortured expression on his face. _Is he in shock or something? What's going on?_

I was curious, but I didn't push it, knowing he'd tell me when he was ready. "Do you want some pain medication? Some food?" I suggested.

He nodded slowly, still focused straight ahead. I stood up and crossed over to my dresser, balancing a sleeve of crackers, a water bottle, and the bottle of pills in my arms. My mind was reeling – there were so many questions I wanted to ask: Why did he leave? Where had they gone? What had happened to him? Where was Simon? How could he have cut off all communication with me for so long? – but bringing it up when he wasn't ready wasn't going to do him any good, so I swallowed back all my questions… except for one.

"Derek… what happened to you?" I asked, in a voice barely louder than a whisper.

He turned away from me, choosing instead to study the wooden panels that made up the hardwood floor. "My dad and I… we were… attacked."

_His dad? If they were both attacked, then where-_

I handed him the pills and the water bottle and placed the crackers next to his leg. "Is he…?"

"I don't know," he admitted. _They_… whoever attacked us… they took him."

"They kidnapped him?!" He blinked once, like nodding would mean accepting that it'd actually happened.

"We'll find a way to get him back," I soothed, trying to calm him down. I could tell this was tearing him up inside, but feeling guilty wasn't going to resolve the situation.

"I should've protected him."

"Derek, you almost died! There was no way you could've helped your father last night!"

He turned to face me, and I could see the anger in his eyes. "I was supposed to protect him! I was supposed to keep him safe; him and Simon!" he paused to breath and calm himself down slightly. "But I failed, and now both of them are in danger and it's all my fault."

_Simon? What's going on? What happened to Simon?!_

I hushed my inner voice and concentrated on Derek. He was breathing deeply and his eyes were closed – he was trying to calm down. I placed my hand on top of his, and the effect was immediate. His shoulders sagged, and he opened his eyes. There was a tortured look in them that was almost painful to look at, but I couldn't turn away. "What happened… with Simon? Is he alright?"

"No, he isn't, and it's all my-"

"Don't start, _please. _Just tell me what happened," I begged.

He pursed his lips and nodded before beginning his description. "After that day he found us in your backyard, Simon stopped talking to me. He said he couldn't stand to be around someone who would betray his brother like that."

I immediately felt the guilt returning, weighing down on my heart. _I didn't think it would go this far. I thought Simon would forgive Derek after a few days…_

"I'm so sorry," I whispered.

He nodded and kept going. "He started leaving the house a lot; said he couldn't stand to be in the same room as me. I didn't see him for days, then one day I knew something was off. I checked his room, and most of his stuff was gone, along with his backpack, his meds, and his emergency cash."

"He… ran away?" I asked incredulously. "Are you sure? I mean, Simon's not that rash… he wouldn't just up and leave, would he?"

"That's what I thought… but there were no other scents in his room. It was just him." I shook my head, not willing to believe it. "My dad tried a tracking spell, but he couldn't find him. Then we waited. We figured he'd come back after a couple of days - after his anger had died down – but he never did, so my dad and I packed up our stuff and went out looking for him. That's when…"

"You were attacked?" I offered, cutting off his self-imposed guilt-trip.

"Yeah… which makes me believe that Simon was captured as well. It's like they knew we were coming."

"Maybe… maybe they did."

***

We had been talking about the situation with his father and Simon all afternoon, but I had other questions that still needed answering.

"I started seeing a therapist," I told him during a long stretch of silence.

"Why would you do that, Chloe?" He didn't sound surprised… just confused and slightly disappointed. "You already _know _you're not crazy; why would you let some shrink convince you otherwise?"

I felt all my pent-up anger bubbling up to the surface. _How dare he make me sound like an idiot after all he's done!_

"I didn't know; that's the problem! I thought I'd created you and Simon out of thin air!"

"How could you-"

I cut him off. "How could I think that? Well, seeing as you don't _exist _in the real world, and you avoided any contact with me for weeks after I started the meds… I'd say I have grounds for a pretty solid excuse, don't you?"

He laid back, resting his head against the edge of my bed. "I'm so sorry, Chloe. I can't image what you must've gone through." He shook his head. "Maybe… maybe it would've been better for you to believe that. Maybe you could've had a more normal life that way."

I snorted. "Oh, definitely! Spending my life in a padded cell is a lot more appealing than this, don't you agree?"

Sarcasm and I? BFFs.

He was silent for a while, so I decided it was time to build up to my most burning question. "I know you read my letter," I said nonchalantly.

He looked shocked for a moment. "Chloe, I-"

"Why didn't you respond?" I asked quietly. "I know it was creepy and weird, but… why didn't you respond?" I repeated, trying to keep my voice steady.

"I… I couldn't. And not because it was creepy or weird –it wasn't - it was heartbreaking, Chloe." He stared into my eyes, conveying the message. "I could see how badly we'd destroyed you, and I thought that if we stayed away, then… I don't know what I thought would happen, to be honest. I didn't think. It was right after Simon disappeared, and I was feeling guilty about what I'd done, and I couldn't handle knowing that I was ruining your life, too," he admitted, hanging his head. "I know it's not a verifiable excuse or anything, but it's the truth."

"I thought I was crazy," I told him. "I looked you up on the internet, searched company files… I even checked facebook, but I never found anything, and since you never appeared after I started taking the meds…" he nodded gravely; he knew all of this already. "I didn't know _what_ to think," I admitted sadly.

I felt his hand on mine then, and I squeezed it, missing being able to be this close to anyone. Derek was so warm, and I always felt cold nowadays…

Almost 40 hours without sleep was beginning to take its toll. My eyes began to feel heavy, and I wanted to crawl into bed and pass out, but I was afraid that if I fell asleep now I'd wake up and find that it was all just a dream.

"How are you feeling?" I asked, rubbing my eyes. I felt guilty for forgetting his injuries and not asking if he needed anything, but he hadn't reminded me, so…

"I'm feeling a lot better… except for the broken bones and my leg 'n all, but I'll live."

I paused to study his injuries, hoping he wasn't just trying to be macho or something. He was right – his bruises were a faint yellowish colour, and the more minor cuts were almost completely healed. "Woah," I whispered, tracing a faint line on his arm that had been a 4 inch-long cut only a few hours earlier. "Do you always heal this fast?" I asked, shocked.

He shrugged. "Usually faster, but whatever attacked me made sure they hit all the right – or wrong – areas." He said it so calmly – you would think he was describing the weather.

"I thought… I thought you were dead." I traced the scar again, trying to keep my voice steady. I'd never forget the moment I'd flicked on the light and seen him collapse on my balcony – it was tattooed on the inside of my mind.

"I'm sorry… I didn't want to scare you. I was so out of it – I didn't think, I just ran," he explained. "I don't remember it that well, to be honest." I nodded, wishing _I _was the one who couldn't remember. I hadn't slept in 2 days, and after seeing him in his ramshackle state, I hadn't been able to will myself to try.

_That's an understatement._

I dropped his arm and concentrated on the floor, biting my lip and pushing the mental picture from my mind. I knew he was safe now, but just remembering what he'd looked like when he'd arrived triggered some sort of reaction in me. I couldn't pinpoint the name of the emotion, but it _felt _like someone was ripping my heart out and stomping on it with cleats. I had experienced something like this before - after my parents died – but this was (I was kind of ashamed to admit it…) stronger.

I hadn't realized I was crying until Derek wiped the tears away with his thumb. "Hey," he whispered, putting his fingers under my chin and pulling my face up so I could look at him. "I'm fine; really I am. Please don't cry." He wrapped his good arm around my waist and pulled me closer, and I reached around and hugged him. I buried my face in his chest, my tears soaking his bloody t-shirt.

"How do you know I'm crying about that?" I asked, trying to sound cheerful. "I could be crying about anything – global warming, animal abuse, the directorial tragedy otherwise known as _Jennifer's Body _– who gave you the idea that you're important enough for me to cry about? Seems a little cocky, if you ask me."

He cocked his eyebrow at me, releasing my waist. "Well then, _princess_, I guess I'll have to leave. I know where I'm not wanted, you know…"

"No!" I grabbed onto his t-shirt and sat up, staring him straight in the eyes. "You're not leaving. Do you hear me, Derek Souza? You. Are. Not. Leaving. Me!"

He laughed, pulling my hands off his shirt."You're scaring me, Chloe. Have you taken your meds today?" he deadpanned.

I narrowed my eyes at him. "Too soon."

He looked apologetic. "Ah... right. Sorry."

"I'm serious, Derek. You're staying right here." He had no choice in the matter, and he knew it.

He sighed. "Fine."

I smiled at him, one of those have-to-close-your-eyes-because-you're-smiling-so-big smiles. "Now that that's settled, can I go take a shower? There's dried blood everywhere, and I-"

I raised a hand to cut him off. "Too much information, Derek. Besides, I don't know if you should be standing on that leg so soon after-"

He stood up and made his way to the bathroom without so much as a limp.

"Show-off."

***** **

I grabbed a few of Andrew's old t-shirts and shorts from his room, blushing profusely when I accidentally opened the underwear drawer. I thought of Derek and blushed harder; I knew it was stupid, but the thought of Derek in my bathroom, in _my _shower, was-

"Chloe? Where do you keep the towels?"

"T-third door on the l-left," I called, my voice shaking a bit. _What's wrong with me?! Did I just picture my best friend…?_

I shook my head and left the room, feeling guilty. Simon was missing, his father had been kidnapped, and I was day-dreaming about Derek?

There definitely wasn't any time for that… no matter how good I thought his abs must've looked.

*******

I couldn't believe what I was hearing.

"You can't be serious, Derek. You can't just _leave_!"

He sighed deeply, like he had the last twenty times I'd asked. "Chloe, it's been more than a week! I have to get out there and find Simon and my dad."

Derek had been staying with us – unbeknownst to Lauren and Andrew, of course – for almost 8 days. We'd grow so close over the past week, it was almost like we'd never been apart. I'd told him so much – how my mother's favourite song had been playing on the radio when we'd crashed, and how helpless I'd felt when they'd left me. Derek, in turn, told me things he hadn't even told Simon – about how the people he'd lived with before Simon and his dad were killed by his brothers, and how he'd run away when he'd walked in on the gruesome scene. We were inseparable…

But something had changed between us.

And it scared me.

For instance, my heart started to race whenever he touched me – whether it was a simple brush of his fingers or his hand on my arm, I always felt a jolt of electricity running through me. And, when he'd told me about walking in on his brothers murdering their caregiver, I felt a fierce rush of anger. I wanted to protect him from that, from the things he shouldn't have had to see…

It was unsettling.

"Well then…can I come with you?" I asked, hopeful.

He sighed impatiently. "No, Chloe."

"Why not?!"

"Because I said so!"

"Why should I listen to you?" I demanded. I didn't wanna play the guilt card, but if it would stop him from leaving… "_I'm_ the one who saved _your_ life!"

"Because I'm not taking you with me, and if you try to follow me, I'll drag you back here myself. Sound like a good enough reason to you?"

"That's not fair!" I whined. "I-"

"YOU ARE _NOT _COMING WITH ME! UNDERSTAND?"

"FINE!" I crossed my arms and sat down. "Jerk!"

He rolled his eyes. "Fine."

"Fine!"

We didn't say anything for a while. The silence was starting to get to me, dragging on and on; if he really was leaving, I didn't want our last moments together to be like this...

"Why can't I come?" I asked quietly. "I could be useful-"

He sighed again, looking me straight in the eye. "Because you aren't prepared for this, Chloe! You don't know what it's like to have to stay quiet for days so the 'bad guys' won't take you away, or have to run for your miles without stopping, or not know if you're going to make it to next week, or-"

"Who made you Anne Frank?" I asked sarcastically.

"Chloe, this isn't funny! You don't know what it's like to have to fight to survive; to watch the people you love die horrible-" he stopped abruptly, realizing what he'd done. "Chloe, I..."

My vision began to blur, the tears threatening to spill over if I didn't stop them somehow... "For your _information_, Derek, I_ do_ know what it's like!" I turned away, refusing to cry in front of him.

"Chloe..." he placed his fingers underneath my chin and genlty turned my face towards him. I looked up and met his gaze. "Would it change things if I told you... if I told you that I love you and don't want you to get hurt?" He stared straight into my eyes, piercing me with his emerald gaze, daring me to say something.

I laughed.

"Dammit! You could star in one of my movies someday, Derek! Of course it wouldn't _change_ things! You're totally saying it just to get me to stay back!"

He turned his head to the side, looking both disappointed and almost_...sad?_

_Wow, he must think I'm an idiot if he thought I'd believe THAT!_

"You're not coming with me, Chloe, and that's final."

My sadness was transformed into anger almost instantaniously. "So you're just gunna leave me here alone? How am I supposed to deal with everything myself, Derek? What about Dr. Davidoff and Lauren and Andrew? Are you gunna abandon me so you can run off and play superman?"

I hadn't meant to sound emotional, but now that I was saying it out loud, I realized that he actually _was _leaving me, and the tears started forming.

I rubbed my eyes before he could notice and stared up at him, into the green eyes that I'd recognize anywhere. I'd memorized them over the past few days – even taken a few pictures so that I'd never forget them again. "Don't you want me there with you? I could help you track them down – ghosts know everything, Derek. They could lead us to your dad and Simon faster than searching for them blindly would take!"

His composure cracked a little – enough for me to glimpse the pain he was hiding underneath the mask. "Chloe, I just… I can't. I'm sorry, but I can't. I need to know that you're safe here so that I can concentrate on helping Simon and my dad."

"So you're saying I'm just a distraction? A liability?" I was furious now – how many times was I going to have to prove myself to him?!

"No! That's not what I meant!"

"Yes it is! You think I'll just slow you down, don't you?"

"That's not it, I swear. I just don't want you putting yourself in unnecessary danger, Chloe!"

"You're lying! You think I'll hinder you - hold you back! You think you'll have to babysit me! Newsflash, Derek: I'm not a baby! I can take care of myself, just don't leave me -"

"Stop it,please," he begged desperately, placing a hand on either side of my face.

_He wouldn't._

"What are you-"

He leaned in slowly to gauge my reaction. When he was sure I wouldn't stop him, he closed the distance between us and kissed me; it was short, sweet, gentle... perfect.

Erm, it was _supposed _to be…

_Ho-ly shit!_

I could feel every emotion he was feeling – the desperation, the sadness – it was like I could read his mind. He was being careful with me, as if I was something fragile that he couldn't bear to break, but my heart was racing ten times faster than before, and I suddenly felt hot – feverish. I ran my hand through his hair and pulled him closer, needing him closer. He tried to pull away, but I wouldn't let him; not now, not _ever._

_What the hell? You go from hardly touching to full on making out? Shouldn't you be asking him about this? Weren't you just arguing about something?_

Then, almost as suddenly as it had begun, it was over.

He was blushing redder than a tomato, and I was suddenly reminded of all the times his cheeks had glowed scarlet when we were younger. "I'm so sorry. That was uncalled for… I know you don't feel that way about me." He said it all quickly, so fast that his words seemed to be tripping over one another. I wanted to slap him across the face and scream, "Wake up, you idiot!", but decided on a more lady-like approach.

"Are you serious? Does the fact that I was kissing you back mean _nothing _to you?" I crossed my arms and waited for his response.

_This should be good._

I waited.

And waited.

And… waited.

Finally, he stood up. "I have to go," he mumbled, grabbing his bag. He turned away and started to leave, and it still hadn't registered in my brain that he was making a hasty escape.

I snapped out of it a few seconds later. "Wait!" I called, chasing after him. When I caught up to him, I grabbed his wrists and looked straight into his eyes. "Whatever that was… we can pretend it never happened, if that's what you want. I still- we can talk about this, Derek. You don't have to run away from it," I assured him. "I felt it, whatever it was. There's something there, and you know it."

"We can't. You can't - I have to go. I'm sorry about everything."

_Ouch. _

"Please don't go," I begged. "Please. We can figure something out; find some people who can help. You shouldn't be doing this alone, Derek!"

"I have to. I need to go find my dad and Simon, and… and I shouldn't have done that," he said, the regret evident in his voice. He shook his head. "It's been a week, Chloe… I'm probably already too late, but I have to try, you know?"

"Please?" I whispered, the tears flowing freely now.

He turned his head, shielding his gaze. "I have to. I'm sorry, Chloe."

I felt like one of those stupid girls who just lets their husband go off to war, knowing he probably won't be coming back… until I realized that I had the power to change that.

I choked back the rest of my tears, hiccupping until I had myself under control. "If you're not letting me come with you, I have a few conditions, okay?"

He blinked once, and I took it as a 'yes'. "First, you have to call at least once a week."

He nodded, and I took it as a sign to continue. "Second, if you're not back within two weeks, I'm coming after you myself."

"Chloe, you can't do that. You're not-"

"No arguments, okay?" He grumbled something, and I bit my lip before naming my last request. "And third… you have to promise me you won't ever give up. Don't be some self-sacrificing hero! Take care of yourself, and-" I hugged him tightly, concentrating all of my strength into holding him as tightly as I could. I couldn't believe how much had changed in the last few days, few hours; few seconds even… I lowered my voice to a whisper. "Come back to me, okay? Promise me that."

I felt his arms tightening around me. "I can't," he mumbled into my hair. "It's not something I can guarantee… if I don't come back, I want you to know that I-"

"No!" I practically screamed, clamping my hand over his mouth. "One, that is _such _a cliché, and you know it. Two: You are coming back, because I said so."

He rolled his eyes and stuck his tongue out to get me to let go of his mouth. I did, placing it on the side of his face instead. I stood on my tiptoes to kiss him again, and I smiled at the reaction in myself – our thoughts, feelings – everything was connected. I tried to convey how I felt, putting as much emotion into the kiss as I could.

I really hoped he didn't mind the tears streaming down my cheeks.

_Fucking clichés._

_---_

**A/N: Phew! That was a difficult chapter to write, although… I'm kind of excited to write the next chapter now :) Twenty five (25) reviews, that's all I ask. Honestly, it is (and common, I gave you "The Kiss"! TWICE!!!) Gimme those and I'll post the teaser for the next chapter before next weekend, kay?**

**I have some recommendations this week! The first is FreyasWrath's "Derek and Chloe Oneshots". Trust me, you will NOT be disappointed. Remember to leave her some lovin' (um… reviews, not creepy porno messages). My other recs: **_**Fallen **_**by Lauren Kate and **_**Betwixst**_** by Tara Bray Smith. I bought them the day before yesterday and finished them both within 6 hours (their each over 450 pages, so you KNOW they're worth it… especially **_**Betwixst. **_**It was only $5 at Chapters in hardcover!). I could NOT put those things down. Seriously. And, if you've already read them, you know what I'm talking about.**

**That's all for now! Remember to review!**


	12. Ultimatums

**Author's Note**: Hey guys! I know it's been a while, but there was a lot going on and I really couldn't find the time to update (much less sleep, but I digress). I'm gunna try to keep this a/n as short as possible, but it's been a while, so…

Add me on twitter for teasers, updates, and outtakes: (sch _ 94) . If you don't have twitter, you can just keep checking my LJ ( www . sch-94 . livejournal. com) although I only post there sporadically.

To everyone who reviewed last chapter: I couldn't do this without you guys. I was gunna give up on this thing ten minutes after I posted the first chapter, but you guys convinced me to keep going. I'm so thankful to all of you, I'd send you all cookies if I could! :)

As you know, The Reckoning comes out April 6th. I WILL be continuing this story even after that (this story has nothing to do with the DP storyline) so don't get stressed if I don't update for a while after that - I'll probably be rereading The Reckoning 32950954.8 times (plus there's a bunch of stuff going on in April for me).

Also, if anyone needs a beta, I'm free - but only for stories with chapters less than 3000 words long :)

Who's seen Alice in Wonderland? Comments, opinions? I wanna hear em! :P

I'm stopping now, I swear!

---

**Disclaimer: **Steph and Christina are watching _Alice in Wonderland, _and the guys behind them are a little _too _into the movie…

Steph: *Confused*  
So that blue caterpillar that's smokin' up… is he supposed to be like, Buddha or something?

Christina: Um… I think so?

Random Guy: *Talking loud enough to be heard by the entire theatre*  
WOAH MAN! Is that dragon like, real?!

*Steph and Christina laugh*

Steph: Did he actually just say that? He must be high or something!

Christina: Not really… you tend to believe that you own DP, don't you? And you don't do any of that stuff!

Steph: *Crosses arms and pouts*  
You don't always have to kill the mood, you know! This is probably why the Red Queen has so many issues!

Christina: *Smiles*

Steph: *Muttering under breath*  
I'm sooooo haunting you when I die.

---

**Ultimatum**

_We often don't acknowledge the ultimatums we present each other with everyday – they're a part of us, a part of the way we live – but it is often these that fail. We fall short of each other's demands, and then when we are standing alone, unhappy with ourselves and our lives, we return to these disguised ultimatums and wonder where we could have possibly went wrong._

-Anonymous

---

I hugged him as tightly as I could, pressing my face into his shirt and breathing in the distinct scent of home. I pulled away and tilted my head upwards to meet his lips; I could still feel the ghost of his lips on mine minutes after he'd pulled away.

I wiped the last remnants of my tears away and waited for him to say something – hoping that this time it would be that he'd changed his mind, that he'd decided to take me with him after all – even though I knew he wouldn't.

He never did.

"I know this is the worst possible time, and I know you don't want to hear it, but I need you to know, Chloe, just in case I don't come back. I need you to know that I lo-"

"NO!" I catapulted awake, pulling myself out of the dream. I sat up and rubbed the sleep from the corners of my eyes, tying my hair back when I was able to open them again. I took a minute to collect myself, as I did every time I forced myself out of the dream.

_This stupid dream is gunna kill me! _I thought. _Damned subconscious mind can't concentrate on anything else, can it? _I threw the covers off my legs and ran my fingers up and down them, trying to calm myself down. Derek had been gone for four days, but he was still haunting me in my dreams.

It wasn't a scary dream or anything – it was actually quite pleasant by my standards – but I knew if I allowed myself to think about him saying those words to me, even dream about it… I'd never be able to honour the two-week deadline I'd set for him.

"Chloe?"

My head shot up and I screamed - both fear and surprise. "Mom? Where the hell have you been?!" She was sitting in the chair across from my bed, looking anxious and worried.

"I'm so sorry, Chloe. I tried to get a message to you, but it's been so difficult… it took all of my strength just to break through," she said, her eyes squinted in concentration.

"'Break through'? Break through what, exactly? It's been almost 2 years!"

"Someone's cast some sort of shielding spell," she explained. "I couldn't get anywhere near you, Chloe… I don't have much time left, either."

"I missed you so much," I told her, sitting on the ground next to her. "So much has happened lately, and I couldn't talk to you about any of it… I felt so alone," I admitted.

"I'm so sorry, sweetheart. I tried as hard as I could, but it's practically impossible to break through the barrier. Whoever cast this spell was amazingly powerful… you need to watch out."

Finally her words began registering in my sleep-clouded mind. "There's someone…after me, isn't there?" I whispered, scanning the room nervously.

"More than one," she said gravely. "I don't know what you know, Chloe, but there are people-"

I cut her off, remembering what she'd said about not having a lot of time left. "I already know about the Edison Group, mom. They have my friend Simon and his Dad, and Derek went to go rescue them…" I trailed off, stopping myself before I started thinking about Derek again. "What should I do, mom?"

"They're not really looking committedly now, but at the first sign of trouble, you need to get as far away from Buffalo as you can, okay?" I nodded, expecting this.

"But my friends… what about _them_? I can't just disappear! They'd never be able to find me again!" I said, forgetting to whisper.

"Chloe, calm down! I'll send someone – a friend of mine, she's a poltergeist – to help you. She can get a message to your friends, but you have to leave if something happens. Do. You. Understand. Me?"

"Yes."

Her tone was softer when she spoke again. "Chloe… I don't know how much longer I can keep doing this."

"Fighting the spell?"

"No, sweetheart – invading your life."

_What?!_

She swallowed noisily before speaking again, and her voice shook with almost every word. "This isn't normal, Chloe, and it's definitely not doing you any good to be constantly badgered by the past. Not to mention how dangerous it is – everytime you try to contact me, your aura swells up like a homing beacon. That makes it easier for whatever's out there to find you, baby."

I had no idea what to say to that. I knew she was right – this _wasn't _normal, and from what she was telling me, it wasn't helping me remain inconspicuous… no matter how hard I tried to convince myself of this, I still couldn't get myself to see the good in any of it.

_This isn't happening. This isn't happening. This isn't-_

"I think it's time we said goodbye now, sweetheart. It's for the best."

I finally found my voice. "Mom, no! You can't just leave me! Simon left, and then Derek… you're all I have left! I don't care about being normal or staying hidden or-" I watched as transparent tears began making their way down her cheek, and felt the sting of the real tears making their way down mine. She held out her hand, and I reached up to grab it, forgetting that she was a ghost. My fingers never met with anything solid, but I could swear I felt her fingers there, brushing against mine.

"I have to go, baby… it's time."

"Mom-"

"I love you."

And then she was gone. No dramatic speeches, no last requests. She was just…

Gone.

***

The waiting room was eerily silent save for the annoying ticking sound coming from the cuckoo-clock on the wall.

I fidgeted in my chair, hoping the nurse hadn't forgotten about me or assumed I was someone else's kid. I _was _the only person in the waiting room after all, and I'd been waiting for almost half an hour… _And they say privatized healthcare cuts down on time spent in the waiting room. _I glanced at the nurse again, then the clock – she hadn't acknowledged my presence in any way, and I was pretty sure she wouldn't unless I said something.

I cleared my throat loudly. "Um… excuse me, b-but I'm wa-waiting to see-"

"Dr. Davidoff will be with you in a moment," she snapped impatiently, like someone who's used to saying that sort of thing to patients a thousand times a day. "Why don't you make yourself comfortable over there…" she pointed to a chair on the other side of the room "…and read a magazine or something while you wait?"

It was one of those moments where you can picture yourself doing things you know you'd never really do - in this case, I was thinking about flipping her off and leaving. Instead, I nodded, smiled, and walked over to the chair, rolling my eyes once my back was turned. _Someone put a little too much bitch in their coffee this morning…_

I pulled out my Ipod – no way was I forcing myself to read _Chatalaine – _and clicked the app for 'classics', figuring that I might as well get through a few chapters of _Jane Eyre _while I was stuck in that hellhole.

A few minutes later a door opened somewhere and I heard the snarky nurse calling my name. "Chloe Saunders?" she bellowed. I didn't know why she bothered, seeing as I was the only person there…

"That's me," I confirmed, standing.

"The doctor will see you now." She turned and entered the office, leading me to the room with the couches and Dr. Davidoff's desk. "Wait here, and don't touch anything," she commanded fiercely before slamming the door behind her.

_Bitch._

I tried to make myself comfortable in one of the over-stuffed leather armchairs, but it was no use; being in this room always made me feel uneasy, like the fear of every patient to ever sit in this chair was manifesting itself in my mind. _Don't you dare let your guard down, _my subconscious warned. _You have to be ready for anything and everything._

Fifteen minutes later there was still no sign of the good doctor. _What could he be doing? _I wondered, looking around the tiny room. _His computer's in here, so it can't be something work-related…_

It was true. His laptop – a sleek new MacBook, by the looks of it – was open on the desk.

_Are you mentally challeneged? You should be investigating! What if this creep wants to have you committed?!_

That was all it took to convince me. I got off the armchair as quickly as possible and raced over to the desk where the laptop stood open. I shook the mouse and the greeting screen popped open, prompting me for the password. _Dammit, _I thought. _How am I supposed to get in now? _I searched the desk for clues, peeking underneath the tabletop incase he was the kind of person who taped their password there, but apparently the Fates weren't on my side that day.

All of a sudden there was a warm breeze tickling the back of my neck. I straightened up and looked around, shocked – the air had been as hot as what rushed out when I opened the oven at home!

Then, as if it'd been one of my own thoughts, I heard a voice inside my head.

And no, it wasn't the _schizo _kind.

_The password's Jacinda. J-A-C-I-N-D-A._

I didn't scream, but my hands shook – violently – as I typed in the name. For a moment nothing happened, and I scolded myself mentally for listening to… I didn't even know _what _it was. A few seconds later, however, the computer welcomed "Marcel" back to his desktop, and the voice returned.

_And you doubted me! Dear girl, would I ever steer you wrong?_

I gulped, forcing down the bile that had risen in my throat. "W-who are y-you?" I whispered to the empty room, cursing my stutter for revealing just how nervous I really was. "Are you a g-ghost?

Whatever it was responded inside my head.

_A ghost? HA! You're a funny little thing, aren't you? You know nothing about your abilities, and yet your power exceeds that of any necromancer that I've ever seen…_

"So you're _not _a ghost?"

_No, child, I'm not some lowly spirit; I'm something much darker. No ordinary ghost could communicate with you in this way._

"Then… wh-what are you?" I asked, feeling cold all of a sudden.

_Most people - not to mention religious leaders – refer to me as 'the embodiment of all things evil', but you can call me… on second thought, maybe it's best you didn't know my true name yet…_

It just wasn't my day.

"A d-demon?" I guessed, trying to appear more confident.

_Yesssss child, _she purred, dragging out the 's' like some sort of snake. She laughed, and it was sickly-sweet and horrifying all at once. _A demi-demon, if you wanna get technical... Are you afraid? You are, I can tell; you shouldn't be. I'm really very peaceful, you know…_

"Get out of my head!" I commanded, squeezing my eyes shut and grabbing my head. "Get out of my head, you evil son-of-a-"

"Chloe?"

I dropped my hands, opened my eyes, and came face-to-face with a wide-eyed , the demon's laughter still ringing in my ears.

***

Thirty minutes and a few thousand worried glances later, Dr. Davidoff finally got to the point.

"Chloe…" he sighed melodramatically. "The fact is, sweetheart, you need help. There's no getting away from that."

I rolled my eyes for the hundredth time that day, but somewhere in the very back of my mind I heard the demon's laughter echoing , repeating… could it really have been a _demon, _or…?

_He's right. I'm crazy. I hear voices, for God's sakes! I need-_

I took a deep breath and tried to calm myself down. _Stop it! We've been through this already, haven't we? You. Are. Not. Crazy!_

Dr. Davidoff cleared his throat obnoxiously. "Chloe, sweetie… you're not _well_, and I feel it's best that you continue your treatments…"

_Excuse me? If anyone's not well, it's you, bucko._

His cellphone started to ring – one of those annoyingly techno-fied versions of 'Ode to Joy' – and he glanced down at the screen anxiously. "I need to take this, Chloe. Please excuse me…" He got up, strode over to the door but paused before opening it. "Maybe while I'm gone, you'll think this over, yes?"

He opened the door, stepped out, and let it swing shut behind him.

_What a creep!_

I dug my nails into the faux-leather armrest of the chair, trying to get rid of the unsteady feeling in the pit of my stomach. _Remember Derek, _I chanted mentally. _I'm doing this for Derek._

And I was. It had been almost two weeks already - twelve days to be exact – since Derek had gone after Simon and his dad. He hadn't called once, but I tried not to overthink that. He could be busy, or in hiding, or…

_Dead?_

_Stop that! _

Either way, I knew I'd be going after him soon… or at least sending someone to check on him.

The door opened again, and Dr. Davidoff walked in, smiling like a kid in a candy store.

"We're almost out of time here Chloe, but I'd like to discuss a few things with you before you go, if you don't mind." He paused to smile at me, and something about it sent shivers down my spine – it felt _wrong _somehow… "As your doctor," he continued, "I'd highly recommend you continue with your treatments…"

I nodded slowly, not really paying much attention to what he was saying.

"…but then again, now that we have Kit, Simon, _and _Derek back, there really isn't any point to this charade anymore, is there?"

I swear my blood froze in my veins.

He smiled again, a horrible, evil grin that made my skin crawl and forced bile into my mouth. I could hear the sound of my heart pounding in my ears… _This can't be happening!_ _There's no way-_

"Yes, Chloe, we knew all about your little friends. We've been keeping an eye on you, on _all _of you, actually – we couldn't let our greatest successes escape, you see…"

_We? How long have 'they' been watching me? And who are these 'great successes' he's talking about?!_

Then it hit me.

_The Edison Group. _

"What have you and your delusional group done to them?" I bellowed, standing up.

He chuckled. "Us? Nothing yet, I can assure you," he said, feigning innocence. "You know, you shouldn't be so quick to judge, little Chloe. We know all about your relationships with both boys, and from what I've been told, _you're _the one who lead them on - turned them against each other… in fact, I should be thanking you! _You _practically hand-delivered them back to us!"

The truth in his words hit me like a slap in the face. _He's right. I'm responsible for this – all of it. It's all my fault. Derek and Simon could be dead by now, and it's all be my-_

"Come to think of it, we could use someone like you, Chloe – someone with your potential. I have big plans for you, and I think-"

"Never," I spat, saturating my tone with all the hatred I felt towards him.

"Oh now, don't be so rash! Wouldn't you like the chance to see your friends again? Apologize, maybe? That's the only way you'll ever see them again, Chloe – you'll all be reunited again! Otherwise, we're going to make them-" he made some sort of irratic gesture with his hands – something commonly referred to as 'spirit fingers', "-disappear!"

If that had been in one of my scripts, I'd have had the protagonist utter a sarcastic remark – something along the lines of "dude, that was lame," but this was real life, and no matter how lame his attempts to scare me were, they were still working.

_Think, Chloe. What would Derek do?_

"I… okay," I whispered. If accepting his offer was going to get me into his good graces, (and possibly in to see Derek and Simon) I was going to accept.

"Splendid! Now you can go home!" He leaned in close to my ear and continued in a whisper, "Just don't get too comfortable, alright? We'll be back to pick you up tonight… it's less suspicious that way, you see… you being 'troubled' and such."

He raised his voice a few octaves. "Poor little Chloe, out of her mind and alone, wandering through the forest… where could she be?!" He laughed maniacally, and I swear I expected lightning and thunder to start going off behind him.

_What an asshole! _

I turned to leave, done with his little 'show'.

"We'll see you later, Chloe!" he called. "You're making the right choice, sweetheart. Your parents would be proud!"

I froze, my hand resting in the door knob.

Behind all the cheesy endearments, I knew what he was telling me.

***

I took a taxi home.

I kept looking over my shoulder as I scrambled to unlock the front door, but I couldn't see anyone sneaking around in the bushes, no matter how hard I looked.

Once inside, I made sure to shut all the blinds and lock all the windows and doors. There was no way in hell anyone was getting inside without breaking down the door.

I took off, grabbing things from every room: first-aid kit, clothes, water bottles, money, food, journal… I made a mental checklist in my head while I went. _Grab necessary supplies, remember to leave through front door instead of back… _I was leaving, deadline be damned. There was no way I was going to wait around and let them take me!

Ten minutes later I was ready to go, but there was something I still needed to do. I ripped a blank page out of my journal and scribbled a quick goodbye to Lauren and Andrew, telling them that I couldn't pretend for them anymore, that I was sorry for everything I'd put them through, and that no matter what, I'd always love them. I placed the note on the table when I was done, wiping away the tears that had collected in my eyes while I'd been writing.

I slung my backpack over my shoulder and looked back on the house I'd been living in for the past six years. Somewhere deep down, I knew I wouldn't be coming back.

I turned off all of the lights and unlocked the door, stalling at the door by turning the knob as slowly as I could.

_This is it…_

I flung the door open-

And was greeted with the sight of Dr. Davidoff standing on the doormat, surrounded by a few armed guards.

"Trying to escape, Chloe? Did you really think it would be _that_ easy? Didn't I tell you we were always watching?" I backed up into the house as he spoke, trying to escape, but it was no use – someone grabbed me from behind. I felt something sting my neck, and then there was ice in my veins, spreading throughout my body…

"Goodnight, little Chloe. I really wish it didn't have to be this way…"

The whole world had faded to nothing before he even finished speaking.

---

**A/N: There it is! Hope you enjoyed it… and for the love of all things Derek, REVIEW!!!**

**I'll leave you with a true story that'll probably creep you out: A few years ago, a kid from my city was diagnosed with schizophrenia and sent to a 'Group Home' a few hours away. Then, after 2 weeks at the home, the kid came back to visit his parents. Apparently, he suffered from a psychotic break while home with his father and ended up stabbing his dad 117 times. **

**When my teacher told me about this (she's also a psychologist) I seriously got chills.**

**Comments? Questions? Leave 'em with your reviews, and I'll be sure to answer 'em! (Honestly, I will! I reply to every review I receive.)**

**And, um… just in case you forgot:**

**REVIEWWW!!!**


	13. Allies I

**Hey guys! Sorry about the lateness of my updates lately. I know I'm being really unreliable, and many of you have asked if I'm giving up on this story. I will definitely NOT be doing that. I'm gunna finish this baby if it kills me! (Albeit slowly…) **

**I have good news and bad news. The good news is: I'm gunna be writing another fanfic when this one is done. [Insert some sort of "yay" or groan here] It'll definitely be long and probably be rated T or higher. The bad news: I'm probably not going to be writing a sequel to The Finding. **

**Sorry guys. I just feel like there's no point considering The Reckoning's out and was utterly AMAZING! (Just sayin'). Also, a lot of the things I covered in The Finding were like, almost exactly what happened in The Reckoning, so it's sorta the same thing… Anyways, the new fic will definitely be a continuation of TR, starting a few months after the ending. Lemme know what you think! **

**On a completely unrelated note (not really) PM me if you wanna talk about what happens in The Reckoning (or favourite parts / quotes. Anything, really! I need someone to go all "OMG!" with :D). **

**One last thing: Thank you to everyone who has been reviewing. I wouldn't be doing this if it wasn't for you guys and your amazing reviews to keep me going! Thank you so much!**

---

**Disclaimer:** Steph's being over-using a certain phrase lately…

Christina: And then I said, "You're doing it wrong! You have to--"

Steph: THAT'S WHAT _SHE_ SAID!

Christina: *Shakes head*  
No, that is _not _what she said! _She _would NEVER say things like that!

Steph: Yes she would! You don't know her like I know her!

Christina: Oh yeah?

Steph: Yeah!

Christina: Well you know what else she said? _She _said that you don't own Darkest Powers!

Steph: *At a loss for words*  
_She _said that? Really?  
*Tears up*

Christina: *Bored*  
Yupp. Right to my face, too. And she told me she hopes you never write another DP fanfic again, because they always suck. AND, she said Derek was a pitiful excuse for a werewolf. She said he was half the man that Jacob is…

Steph: *Suddenly infuriated*  
Well… you know what? _She _was always a whore anyway, so I don't care!  
*Storms off*

---

**Allies **

**Part I**

_We must rely on ourselves and on others. More on ourselves, but we must trust those around us – our allies. They enlighten us, deliver us, guard us… we must never let them down, lest we face the world alone._

-Anonymous

---

My head was pounding.

Not your run-of-the-mill, everyday type of pounding either. This was like Bambam-taking-his-freakishly-oversized-club-and-beating-you-over-the-head-with-it-repeatedly pounding.

_What the hell happened? _I wondered, pressing my palm to my forehead and groaning softly.

"Awake yet, princess?"

My eyes shot open at the sound of a girl's voice, but the rest of my body refused to move and I remained motionless as she continued to speak. "About time, too, considering it's been 2 days… those idiots must've given you enough drugs to knock out a friggin' horse."

I blinked, trying to clear my mind and get my bearings. My head was still pounding incessantly, the pain -amplified by the presence of the harsh white light coming from somewhere above my bed – keeping me from being able to concentrate on what the girl was saying behind me.

_Suck it up. You need to figure out what's going on._

"W-who are you?" I asked, turning to look at the girl at the other end of the room. I was shocked by what I saw - she had hair the colour of black ink, defined cheekbones, pale white skin and a slender build – she looked like she belonged on an ad for some preppy clothing store, not resting her head against the wall in our desolate cell…

"Stop gawking; it makes you look brain-dead."

"Huh?" I snapped out of it then, blushing because she'd caught me staring like an idiot.

She sighed dramatically and rolled her eyes. "Honestly, you'd better not be a dumbass, _blondie_, or I'm going back to solitary."

"Wh-who are you?" I stammered for the second time. "And where are we?" I added, ignoring her comments and pausing to study my surroundings – white-wash walls, hardwood floors, a white door, no windows; our beds were all I could see around me that weren't white, save for a half open door at the other end of the room.

"Well, for starters, you're in Davidoff's office," she said with an air of barely-concealed boredom.

I swore under my breath. "So they caught me?" I asked lamely, struggling to remember what'd happened.

She chuckled quietly to herself before responding. "Yeah, and from what I've heard, it wasn't that hard to do…" I glared at her until my head began to spin again. When it did, I lowered it into my hands and rested that way, still trying to recall the events of the night I'd been captured. It was almost impossible to think through the haze of whatever was clouding my brain, so I gave up after a few minutes and decided to try getting what information I could out of my less-than supportive cellmate.

"They drugged me, didn't they?"

She laughed. "I believe I already made that quite clear. Does 'enough to knock out a friggin' horse' ring a bell?"

"Can you try not to be sarcastic for a second?" I snapped. The sound of her voice was making my head pound like a war-drum, and when coupled with the mental block I was suffering from… I wasn't feeling my best.

"Sure, princess. Whatever you want."

I ignored her sarcasm and tried one last time. "Who are you?"

"Name's Tori. I'm the resident bitch… or your worst nightmare. It really all depends on how shitty dinner is." I didn't respond, just breathed deeply and closed my eyes again. _Great. She seems like a lovely person._

"And you're Chloe," she stated knowingly. "The way they described you… well, I kinda figured you'd be taller - being the 'big, bad necromancer' 'n all..."

I forgot about my headache for a moment and turned to face her again. "How do you know about that?" I demanded.

She rolled her eyes again. "Calm down. Everyone in this shithole's a supernatural – we all know your _dirty little secret_." She winked, and for a moment I thought she was talking about everything that'd happened between Simon and Derek…

_Simon and Derek! _My brain flipped into overdrive, and my thoughts suddenly became much clearer, any leftover trace of incoherence evaporating immediately. _Could they be here as well? They have to be, if Davidoff's the one who kidnapped them… _I looked around again, foolishly hoping to find a way out of the tiny cell.

No such luck.

"What is this place?" I asked, shifting my position on the bed so I could speak to—_did she say her name was Tori? _ I looked around again, noticing for the first time the electronic components attached to the doorknob. "Why do they have us locked up like this?"

Her expression became somber, and her forehead wrinkled in what I imagined must've been frustration. "Hasn't anyone told you what's going on, princess? We're in _here _because there`s a war going on, and we just happen to be on the wrong side."

"Wr-wrong side…? The Edison Group is winning?" I asked incredulously.

"Either that or the good guys are all starting to look exactly like … you really had no idea what was going on, did you? Where have you been all this time? In a box? Living under a rock? _All _the supernaturals know what's going on except you!"

"Seems like it," I mumbled, embarrassed by my lack of knowledge.

"Seriously… what happened to you? How do you not know about all this?" she asked, her tone softening. I was tempted to mumbled some feeble response and tell her to forget about it, but something about the genuine concern in her voice made me want to tell her, tell _someone _about what'd led me to where I was now…

I began by giving her a brief summary of the events leading up to my capture, skipping anything that had to do with any romantic involvement between Simon, Derek, and I. She nodded at all the correct times, so when she asked me to go into more detail, I did, expanding on what I'd told her before. I told her about the therapy sessions, the secrets, the lies - not excluding anything except the drama about Derek and Simon. By the end of it all, I felt both relived and anxious – had I really just told my life's story to a complete stranger?

_Don't worry about that. Cellmates always talk about their pasts in prison..._

By the time I realized I'd zoned out, Tori had made her way over to my end of the room and planted herself directly in front of me on the itchy comforter. The look on her face was both sad and worried as she stared at me, and I could feel myself becoming more anxious by the second. "What?" I finally asked, watching as my words registered and caused her to back up.

She sighed melodramatically and met my eyes again. "Nothing, it's just…" she swore loudly before continuing, "…it's just that you're so-- I mean, first your parents, then Davidoff makes you think you're crazy, and now _this_, on top of everything else? You had absolutely no chance at a normal life! It`s heartbreaking, really."

"Um… thanks for caring, I guess?" I offered, confused about what to do – I hadn't had much practice socializing with girls my own age, so it was a little difficult trying to figure out what she'd meant.

"Okay, okay. Enough about your messed up life; tell me about your boyfriend!"

"They told you I had a boyfriend?" I asked, wondering why they would bother telling her something so trivial about me. Had they told her about the situation with Simon and Derek, or had they just mentioned it in passing?

"Yeah right! They don't tell me anything around here – I usually have to charm it out of the guards." She winked suggestively, and I cringed internally at the thought of her having to flirt with grown men for information. "But no, they didn't tell me. It was pretty easy to figure out, actually. You're the type of girl that attracts boys like bees to honey – blonde hair, blue eyes, and _oh so delicate_!" She swooned dramatically, making me feel like more of an idiot than I'd ever felt before in her company.

"I'm not like t-that!" I argued, hoping to salvage some miniscule piece of my wavering dignity.

She chuckled. "You are, trust me. Even if you're not trying to be, there's always gunna be guys there, ready to rescue the 'damsel in distress'."

"That's--"

She cut me off with her hand. "So, what's your boy-toy like? Is he tall? Short? Sweet? Hot? Overprotective? Or is he more of the Robert Pattinson, 'look at me, I'm brooding and sexy!' type?"

I looked around the room, desperate for any type of delivery from this nightmare. _We're locked up like wild animals and she wants to talk about boys? _After searching the room – unsuccessfully – again for a distraction, I reluctantly returned my gaze to Tori. I exhaled and laid back on my flat pillows, trying to think of a way to give her what she wanted without sounding like an idiot again.

"I… to be honest with you, I don't even know if he _is _my boyfriend…" I admitted sadly.

"Why not?" she asked, her left eyebrow raised at me.

"It's complicated," I sighed, hating how cliché I sounded.

"It's _never_ complicated_, _Chloe… has he kissed you yet?"

"Y-yeah, but--"

"Did he tell you he loved you?"

"He tried," I mumbled, amazed that I was telling her all of this. Was I that starved for attention, or was I just looking for advice from someone who understood the female thought process?

"_Tried_?" she asked, confused.

"I wouldn't let him. He was leaving, and I--"

"_Leaving_? So it was like a tragic-farewell type 'a deal?" She placed her hands over her heart and winked again, but I ignored it.

"If you're not gunna take this seriously, then I'm not going to tell you," I warned.

She rolled her eyes. "I'll be good, I promise. Now, tell me what he looks like!" she begged. "Is he extremely yummy, or the boy-next-door type? Is he smart? What do your friends think about him?" I hadn't told her who it was, thinking she might not approve, but there was no getting around it now.

"He's… well, he has green eyes…?" I offered, wondering how I was going to describe Derek to her without making him sound like a guy on the cover of a _Harlequin_ novel.

"And..? You need to gimme more than that, Chloe! I've been in here for a while – 'he has green eyes' isn't going to cut it!"

"A while?" I asked, feeling anxious again. "How long's _a while, _exactly?"

"That's not important. Now, continue with your description!"

_Someone needs to get their priorities straight_.

"He has dark brown hair, and he's really tall…" I trailed off lamely, wondering how much she wanted to know.

"Does he know about all of this?" She gestured to our cell, which I took as 'does he know about you being a supernatural?'.

"Yeah, he knows. He's a part of it."

"You're dating another supernatural?!" she asked, her eyes wide.

"We're not really _dating_…" I mumbled, trying to calm her down.

"Who is it?" she demanded, ignoring me. "I know every single supernatural in the area. What's his name?"

"His name's D-Derek…"

"You're dating your best friend?" she inquired, her forehead wrinkling in confusion.

"We're not dating!" I repeated, feeling helpless. "Don't we have more important things to talk about, Tori? Like how we're trapped in a cell somewhere with no chance of escape?"

She ignored me again. "Lemme get this straight… you're dating your best friend, who also happens to be a werewolf?"

"That's the gist of it, I guess…"

She looked at me and nodded slowly. "I'm gunna be honest with you Chloe – that is probably one of the most messed-up situations I've ever heard about. Do you have any idea how messed up your kids will be?"

"Who said anything about kids? We're not even officially dating, for God's sakes!"

"Whatever... So, where's wolf-boy now? Shouldn't he be charging in to rescue you or something?" she asked, sarcasm colouring her tone.

"I'm pretty sure he's locked up here somewhere," I admitted, sitting up. "He went out to search for his dad and his brother, but he never came back. Then, when I talked to my mom, she said--"

"You… talked to your mom? As in your _late_ mother?"

"Yeah… I'm a necromancer, remember?"

"It's not that, it's just… necromancers aren't supposed to be able to contact dead relatives. How'd you get around that?"

I stared at her, the hair on the back of my neck standing up. "I d-didn't… I didn't do _anything_! I've been talking to her since I was t-ten years old…" Tori stared at me, eyes wide with fear and something else… understanding? She swore colourfully and ran her fingers through her hair. "No wonder they put us together," she whispered. "They're rounding us up; getting ready for--"

"Getting ready for what? What's going on?"

"I knew it! They're gunna use herd us like sheep, and then they're gunna use us to end this thing!" She was talking to herself now, having completely forgotten that I was in the room.

"Tori, what's going on?!" I grabbed her arm, hoping to snap her out of it, but she recoiled from my touch. "Tori, answer me right n--" the sound of a lock opening froze me in place. Someone was turning the handle to our cell, and the electronic locks appeared to be unlocking one by one. Tori snapped out of it, her eyes widening again. She scrambled off my bed and rushed back to her side of the room.

"Act natural, and agree with whatever he says!" she hissed at me.

"Who?"

"Davidoff, you idiot! Just agree with whatever he says!"

The door opened then, mockingly slowly – just like in the movies, except there were no sound effects or fog coming through and obscuring the villain's face. It was Dr. Davidoff, looking as chipper as he has when I'd first started therapy. "Chloe!" he exclaimed, sounding genuinely happy to see me. "I'm so glad to see you're awake!" He stepped forward and closed the door behind him, looking from Tori's side of the room to mine. He gave her a half-hearted smile before turning back to me. "I see you've met Victoria. We know you two will be best friends in no time at all," he said, using his 'hello there, little girl!' voice.

"Definitely!" Tori agreed. "Chloe's really great. We're going to be BFF's for sure!" I wanted to roll my eyes, but thought better of it. I could tell Tori was trying to kiss up to Dr. Davidoff, which meant that he held a lot of power in here; it'd be beneficial for me to play along and get in his good graces again.

"Definitely!' I agreed. "In fact, I was just telling Tori about Simon and Derek, and she says she can't wait to meet them!" I prayed Tori would play along, even if it was only because she wanted to check Derek out for herself.

She smiled. "Could I, Dr. D? There aren't any other guys around here, and I really want to make some new friends… plus, I've never met a werewolf before!" She batted her eyelashes a little, and I had to work hard to resist the urge to roll my eyes at her.

Davidoff looked uncertain. "I'm not sure that's a good idea, girls. Derek and Simon are having trouble… _adjusting_. It might be counter-productive, letting you see them now..." he said, making a puppy-dog face.

_Gag me now…_

"Chloe and I could talk to them and tell them how great it is here!" Tori chirped excitedly. "They'll definitely listen to Chloe, and I can tell them all about how awesome it is here! I promise you, we can get them to behave, Dr. D!"

Davidoff looked thoughtful for a moment, then smiled. "Sounds like a plan. Thank you for being so helpful, Victoria!" He ruffled her hair affectionately, the turned to go. "I'm glad you're being understanding, Chloe. I really think you'll come to love it here," he said, smiling at me before opening the door. "I'll be back later to take you girls to see them!" he promised, the door slamming shut behind him.

I let out the breath I'd been holding in, relieved that he was gone and that my plan had worked. I was about to say something, but Tori shushed me and pointed to the bathroom door. I got up and followed her in, closing the door behind us.

"The room's bugged?" I asked, turning to face her. She was sitting on the counter and picking at her nails looking bored.

"I'm not sure, but you can never be too safe - I wouldn't put it past those guys, either…"

I nodded. "We have to get out of here, Tori. This is nuts! And speaking of 'nuts', what were you talking about before Davidoff came in?" I sat down on the edge of the bathtub and waited for her to tell me.

She looked up from her nails. "I wasn't going to tell you because I wasn't sure, but after what you told me about your mom…" she got off the counter and stood in front of me with her arms crossed, "I need you to listen to me, okay? Don't freak out when I tell you this, or we're screwed – I'm not supposed to know."

"Okay…"

"We're test-tube babies. They basically manufactured us using our parents' DNA, except they added their own little twist…"

"Who?" I asked, seriously doubting her credibility. _Test-tube babies? That can't be true…_

"Who do you think? The Edison Group, of course - they 'created' us - we're their perfect little specimens."

"Specimens? What'd they do to us? Feed us nitrogen-flakes and gamma rays?" This was sounding crazier every second.

"No, you idiot! They tweaked our DNA! They say it was to help make our powers easier to control, but in reality, they were just looking to use us for their own twisted gains."

"What do you mean?"

She looked around nervously and dropped her voice to a barely-audible whisper. "This war's been going on for a long time. The Edison Group thought it was time they did some R&D in the 'Weapons of Mass Destruction" department… and we're what they came up with," she said gravely.

"Are you kidding me?! They want to use us to win this war for them? Are they crazy?!"

"I don't know, but somehow they amplified our powers; they think if they promise to help us gain control over them, we'll do their dirty work for them."

"That's just--"

"Wrong, I know. But don't worry – my mom is gunna rescue us. She's one of the leaders of the rebellion, so it's just a matter of time now."

"Tori, we can't just wait around for your mom to come swooping in and rescue us – we have to come up with a plan to escape!" I couldn't believe what I was hearing - she wanted us to sit around and do nothing?

"Chloe, I trust my mom. She said she would do whatever it took to get me back safe, and I believe her, so I'm gunna do what she says. I'm not making any plans."

"That makes no sense, Tori! We need to have a back-up plan!"

"Having a back-up plan implies that you expect to fail. My mom won't fail us, Chloe."

"Tori, that makes no--" The sound of the door opening cut me off, and I tensed, waiting for whoever it was to make their presence known.

"Girls?" Dr. Davidoff called. "Are you ready to go?"

Tori gave me a look that said, 'we'll talk about this later!' and pushed me out the door, plastering a smile on her face before we emerged in the other room. "Sorry about that, Dr. D! I was just showing Chloe how the shower worked," she said, sounding like the poster-child for cotton candy, rainbows, and happy unicorns.

"Thank you, Victoria! I'm glad you girls are getting along so well. Now, are you ready to go see the boys?"

"Sure are!" she said, elbowing me in the ribs.

"Yeah, we're ready to g-go!" I said, smiling as well, glaring at Tori when Davidoff wasn't looking.

"Good! Let's get going… I have a surprise for you girls when you get back," he said, looking mischievous and creepy.

_Eww. No thank you. You can keep your 'surprises' to yourself, thanks._

We followed him out the door of our cell.

*******

Dr. Davidoff led us along a long hallway lined with doors like the one to our cell, the electronic locks gleaming, mocking us as we passed. We came to a stop outside the 2nd door from the end of the hall and Davidoff moved to shield the lock before inputting the code. We could hear the locks opening, and after a few seconds of waiting, the door swung open with a groan.

We stepped in, not making a sound.

I almost cried with relief when I saw them. Simon was on his bed sketching, while Derek was standing in the middle of the room with his arms crossed, his expression deadly.

"Chloe?!" Simon sprung up from his bed and ran towards me, pulling me into a hug. I hugged him back as tightly as I could, glad that he was okay and that he didn't seem to be angry at me anymore.

"Simon! I missed you so much, you idiot! Why would you run away like that? You scared the crap outta me!"

He stepped back and smiled crookedly. "Sorry… I wasn't thinking, I guess."

Davidoff laughed from the doorway, his hand on the doorknob. "I think I'll leave you children to talk. Knock on the door when you want to return to your room, girls."

"Thanks, Dr. D!" Tori called, the door closing before she could finish. She turned around and crossed her arms, aware of the tension in the air already. "So… I'm assuming you're Derek?" she said, looking him over and turning to me. "Not bad, but he'd be much better looking without the scowl… how 'bout a smile, big guy?"

Neither Simon nor I said anything; we knew when Derek got like this, he was usually about 5.624 seconds away from exploding. Tori didn't, but we couldn't tell her that now...

"Who the hell are you?" Derek demanded, looking livid.

"Name's Tori, though I'm sure you don't care. What's your problem, wolf-boy? Cat got your tongue?"

I stepped in front of her, stopping Derek from retorting. "She's my cellmate," I explained, wondering why he was acting like this. "What's wrong with you, Derek?"

I searched his eyes for an answer, but they were unreadable. "I told you not to come after me," he grumbled. "I told you not to follow me, Chloe! Why didn't you listen? Why do you _never _listen?!"

I stepped back, surprised by his angry tone – he wasn't yelling, but I could tell he was majorly pissed off.

"_Excuse _me? I said I'd give you two weeks to find Simon, and your two weeks were up! Plus, I told you to call me to check in, and you didn't! How was I supposed to know if you were all right? A friggin' _ghost _had to tell me that they'd captured you!" My anger was building as I spoke, and by the time I was done I was ready to scream at him.

Tori pulled me backwards. "Listen, wolf-boy… from what I've heard, they took her from her house, which means she wasn't safe where you left her in the first place; you have no right to lecture her!"

"No one asked you," he spat, earning himself a glare from Tori. She pushed me behind her and moved to stand in front of Derek, the anger radiating off her in waves.

"You think you scare me, tough guy? I've dealt with sorcerers double your size with one hand tied behind my back! Your attempts to intimidate me are laughable at best, in case you haven't realized that by now."

Tori and Derek glared at each other for a few minutes without saying a word; it was Simon who broke the silence.

"So you're a witch?" he asked tentatively. Tori maintained her defensive stance but turned to face Simon.

"Yeah, didn't you realize it when I walked in?"

"No…?"

"Guys, no offense, but don't we have more important things to worry about?" I said, trying to change the subject without being rude.

"Not in here," Tori hinted. "And only if _this_ asshole is done yelling at everyone," she said, pointing to Derek. He was about to snap back, but I held my hand to silence him.

"Enough, Derek. We have more important things to talk about right now," I told him, letting my anger colour my tone. I left him standing there alone and made my way to the bathroom, not bothering to check if he was following me.

---

**A/N: There's part one! Part 2 should be up by the end of the week... Don't worry, it's already more than halfway done! I'm just waiting on reviews. (You know what that means, don't cha? REVIEW! :D)**

**So… here's an interesting fact: I was kinda freaked out when I found out, but apparently schizophrenia runs in my family on my dad's side. **

**ANYWAYS. Remember to review, 'cuz you never know… the lack of reviews might make me snap and then I won't be around to post the amazing ending I have planned…**

**REVIEW!!!**


	14. Allies II

**Holy shiznit, guys! After only 2 hours I got like, 298549057 reviews for part one! THANK YOU SO MUCH! Shoutouts to ****vampiremom1221, burning, Fanpire4000, piercingemeralds2, and maveldiaz (thank you so much for the recommendations!) and everyone else who took the time to review. Fanfic was being all pissy so I couldn't reply to all your reviews, but they totally made my day (which happened to be my birthday, which means you guys totally OWNED everything else that day). You guys are all honorary review ninjas in my book! :)**

**Here's part two early (well, earlier than usual), as promised… Don't you just LOVE when I actually update twice within the same month? ;) I would've had this out sooner if it hadn't been for the book-buying binge I went on last week… here's what I now own and have yet to read:**_** Rude Awakenings of a Jane Austen Addict, When It Happens, Peter Pan**_**, **_**Jane Eyre, The Scarlet Letter, Judas Kiss, The Collective Works of Susan Howatch**_**, and **_**The Collective Works of the Brothers Grimm**_**. Here's what I HAVE read out of the pile: **_**Beastly, Leaving Paradise, The Hunger Games, Catching Fire**_**, _Dime Store Magic _(which was AMAZING)_, _and **_**If I Stay**_**. Anyone who wants to listen to me rant about my love of the Hunger Games (Team Peeta!), or anyone who just wants to talk books can PM me or just tell me in their review :)**

**Anyways, enjoy the chapter! Hopefully it makes up for my being M.I.A. for so long.**

**

* * *

**

**Disclaimer**: Steph and Christina have discovered that everything is 10 times funnier at 3 AM.

Christina: *Tucks chin into neck*  
Look Steph! Don't I look like that one Pokemon? What's his name again?

Steph: *Stares at Christina*  
Um… 'Machop' I think?

Christina: *Smiles*  
Yeah!  
*Laughs*  
Now when you write your disclaimers, you can say that Machop told you that you don't own DP!

Steph: You're right! I _could_ say that!  
*Fake laughs*

Christina: *Laughing*

Steph: [Aside]  
Or I could tell them an idiot told me; you know, either way works…

Christina: What'd you say?

Steph: Me? I didn't say anything!  
*Smiles innocently and continues to creep tumblr*

* * *

**Allies II**

_They say that you should always try as hard as you can to get rid of the weakest link – that it'll slow you if you don't, or that it'll affect you negatively in the long run – but that's impossible. When one of you is weak, all of you are weak. No exceptions, no special cases. There is hope, though: no matter how weak you are alone, you're always stronger together._

-Anonymous

* * *

"I hate to break it to you, but we've got nothing to work with here."

"Correction; _you've _got nothing to work with. _I'm _just here to watch. You're on your own when it comes to this little _suicide mission_," Tori stated bluntly, crossing her arms.

Simon cocked an eyebrow at her. "You're just here to 'watch'? How do we know you're not a spy or something? The Edison Group could have planted you with us so they could know about our escape attempts…"

"You don't," she said flatly. "But you need me. I've been here longer than all of you, and I know my way around."

Simon bit the inside of his cheek nervously, then turned to me. "Chloe? What do _you_ think?"

"I trust her, Simon. She's in the same boat as we are. She has no reason to betray us."

"But why doesn't she want in?" he asked, confused. He turned to Tori. "If there's a chance you could escape this hellhole, why wouldn't you take it? Why would you want to stay behind?"

"She's waiting for her mom," I explained. "She doesn't want to leave incase her mom comes looking for her – she won't be able to find her."

Simon swore under his breath. "She really is in the same boat, then, isn't she?" he whispered. He turned to face Tori. "My dad's missing," he said gravely.

"He's not missing, Simon - he's been taken by the Cabals."

We all turned towards the doorway, startled by the sound of Derek's voice – we hadn't heard him enter the room, and he'd spoken softly – if anything, we'd have expected an angry grumble. Tori locked eyes with me, sending me a silent message - _He's here to grovel. Don't let him off easy! – _before acknowledging Derek's presence.

"Well, lookie here! Fido's back! I wonder why he isn't growling anymore…?" She smiled up at him, utilizing the same sickly-sweet grin she'd used on Davidoff; I knew her well enough now to know that it was her '_I-would-really-enjoy-nothing-more-than-to-smash-your-face-in-with-a-brick-repeatedly!' _smile. "Did someone throw you a bone, Fido?" she asked, her obnoxious baby-talk enough to irritate everyone in the room.

Derek ignored her, though I could tell it took him a substantial amount of effort – his eye had twitched infinitesimally, almost imperceptivity. "Chloe, I need to talk to you," he stated, making eye contact.

"Can it wait?" I snapped. "We're in the middle of something here, and I'm sure our escape is more important than what you could possibly have to say, Derek." The effect was almost immediate – the expression on his face contorted in such a way that you'd have thought I'd slapped him.

"It can't wait. Can we talk, _please_?"

I sighed and agreed - albeit reluctantly - partly because he'd actually asked this time, and partly because I couldn't wait to see how he rationalized his behavior towards me in the other room. I looked over at Tori, who nodded and turned to leave. "Cummon blondie!" she called, tugging on Simon's sleeve. "Chloe and Scruffy need to talk, and they want their _pri-ivacy_," she announced in a sing-song voice while simultaneously shoving Simon out into the other room. She gave me that same meaningful look then coughed into her fist, the "_Bi-polar!_" – meant for Derek - barely concealed. The door slammed lightly behind her.

I crossed the room and went to go sit on the counter, grateful for the added height it gave me.

_Good. Now I can look him in the eyes while I tell him off._

"You wanted to talk, so talk," I said, doing my best to sound bored and keep my voice even. I had a sinking feeling in my stomach, and I had a nagging suspicion that he was about to put an end to whatever we had before he'd left.

"Chloe, I'm really sorry about what I said back there. I had no idea you were--"

"Yes, you did. You knew I was going to come looking for you after 2 weeks. I made that perfectly clear before you left!" I reminded him.

"I know," he said, taking a step towards me. "I was just mad because I thought you'd gotten caught while searching for us, and--"

"And you let that anger take over! After almost a month without seeing me, the first thing you decided to do is assault me with your word-vomit?" I shook my head. "Does that sound right to you, Derek? Because it doesn't to me. Not even close." I didn't take my eyes off his the entire time, trying to gauge his reaction to my words. By the time I was done my mini-rant, his eyes were telling me that he was positively miserable.

"I was just pissed off," he said, trying to convince me of his innocence. "I didn't mean what I said!"

"And that just automatically makes it okay, right? It didn't matter that you didn't mean it, Derek – it still hurt!" I tore my gaze away and redirected it, focusing on the tile floor while I continued to talk. "The only reason I didn't panic when I woke up here was because I knew you and Simon would be here too. I was hoping that we could figure out an escape plan, maybe find a way to convince Tori to come with us…" I looked up again, meeting his eyes. "But instead, I got a lecture and the cold shoulder… you didn't even tell me you were glad to see that I was alive, Derek! You didn't even bother to tell me you missed me," I whispered, my voice cracking at the end.

"Chloe, we can't--"

"Save it," I snapped, my composure returning. "I get it. You made a mistake, we can't do this – I've heard it all before. Sorry if my feelings _inconvenienced _you in any way, especially since you seem to think _they're_ the reason we're stuck here…"

The next thing I knew, his lips were on mine and he was kissing me, _hard. _My brain was screaming at me to stop him - to keep him from getting out of trouble this easily – but those thoughts were quickly drowned out by the metaphorical sigh coming from my heart. _Finally._

I let go, laced my hands through his hair and held on, pulling him closer to where I sat on the counter. He had one hand on my cheek, and the other wrapped around my waist, holding me to him. I ran my tongue along his bottom lip lightly without thinking, surprised at myself. _When did I learn to do this? _I wondered. The thought was forgotten a second later when he reacted and opened his mouth and copied my movements, sending a shiver down my spine. We kissed like that for almost 3 minutes before I decided I kind of _maybe_ needed to breathe again.

"I missed you," he said after I pulled away, smirking as he rubbed my cheek with his thumb.

"You're a jackass – just thought I'd let you know…" I said, pulling his hand away from my face and kissing him again – chastely this time. "And _THAT _was what you should've done when you first saw me. The next time I get a lecture, _you're _getting your ass kicked, Souza."

There was the sound of someone clearing their throat from the doorway, and we both tensed at the sight of Tori standing in front of the now-open door watching us. Simon was standing next to her, looking solemn and a little bit out of place. "Now that your little reunion is over, how's about we get to work?" Tori asked in a mockingly-cheerful tone. The disappointed look on her face said it all:

_What part of "don't let him off easy!" did you **not** understand?_

_

* * *

_

Less than an hour later, we had a rough outline of our plan.

It'd been difficult – coming up with an elaborate scheme based on only one person's knowledge of the structure – but we'd managed. There'd only been 2 of us in the 'meeting room' at a time, while the other two were supposed to be making small talk in the main room in case we were being taped; eventually we were able to explain the basis of our plan to every member of the group and agree on a strategy.

Davidoff had returned less than 15 minutes after we'd finished explaining the plan to Simon. "Girls!" he called into the room, smiling when he found us sitting on Simon's bed, smiling – we'd ran as fast as our legs could carry us when we'd heard the sound of the door being unlocked.

He stepped inside and surveyed the room subtly, his eyes darting from wall to wall so fast that I almost missed it. "Did you enjoy your visit with the boys?" he asked, smiling at Simon and completely ignoring Derek.

"Yeah! We had fun hanging out, but we're getting kinda tired now… do you think you could take us back to our room?" I asked, batting my eyelashes and trying to look as adorable as humanly possible - Tori had suggested that I act happier around him and trick him into trusting me so that we'd be able to get him to spill some secrets about us.

"At your service!" he chuckled. "That's why I'm here – I have a surprise waiting for you in your room, Victoria, and I wanted you to see it right away!"

_Bullshit. You didn't want us together for too long in case we try something._

Tori's eyes lit up, and it was hard to tell whether she was taking him seriously or just acting. "A surprise… _really_?" She copied my eyelash trick, even going so far as to twirl a piece of hair around her finger. "Can we go see it now?" He nodded and led us out, not bothering to say good-bye to Simon _or_ Derek.

"Are you going to tell me what it is?" Tori inquired, acting - or not - excited.

He chuckled again, and the sound of it made me want to crawl into a deep, dark hole and die. "Of course not Victoria!" He put a hand on each of our shoulders and squeezed them. "That would ruin the surprise, don't you think?"

I tried hard not to shudder, thinking of the man's hand on my shoulder. I was utterly repulsed by everything about him – his name, his face, his smell… especially what he stood for - even if he _was_ only trying to be friendly.

He led us down the same hallway we'd used before, stopping a few feet in front of our room. He knocked on the door a few times before bending over the lock, never bothering to explain his strange behavior to us. "Now Victoria," he said, pausing to address Tori as he straightened up again. "I know you might have a lot of questions after this, but I assure you, it was all done with your best interest in mind!"

Tori raised an eyebrow in confusion. "What do you-?" she asked, Davidoff slamming the door in her face before she could finish asking the question. "What an asshole," she mumbled, tensing and grabbing my forearm unexpectedly.

"Tori?"

"There's someone in here!" she hissed, her nails digging into my arm.

I felt it then – the tingling sensation on the back of my neck – the realization that we were being watched.

We both spun around at the same time.

There was a woman perched on Tori's bed, filing away at her nails. She was blond – her hair obviously a few shades darker than the colour she was trying to pull off – and tanned, her sunglasses resting on top of her head like a headband. She gave off the air of someone who was privileged, bossy, rich… someone who couldn't be bothered to care.

Tori stepped in front of me, her hands shaking violently.

"M-mom?"

* * *

Tori's mom looked up from her nails and smiled half-heartedly – scratch that, it was more of a pity twitch-of-the-lips.

I had a sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach before she even spoke – exactly how I'd felt before Dr. Davidoff had revealed his "real" identity to me – I knew something was up, and whatever it was… well, I could tell it wasn't going to mean rainbows and unicorns for us.

"Victoria, get a hold of yourself before you have a panic attack," her mother snapped after noticing how badly Tori was shaking – she looked unsteady on her feet, like her knees had given up any hope of supporting her.

Tori did as her mother instructed, closing her eyes, clenching her fists slowly and taking a few deep breaths. After a few seconds she opened her eyes again and went to go stand in front of her mother, leaving me to hover behind her. "Mom… what are you doing here?" she asked solemnly. I could tell by her voice that she already knew; she just wanted her suspicions confirmed.

Tori's mom didn't answer – I could tell she was avoiding the question. "For Christ's sakes, Victoria; sit down before you collapse!" she snapped instead, sounding like one of the moms on the shows for 'trophy wives of [insert city here]'. Again Tori followed her mother's orders, parking herself on my bed and gripping the sheets so tightly I was surprised they didn't rip in her hands.

"What are you doing here, mom?" Tori asked again, her voice shaking along with her hands.

"Look," Mrs. Enright said, sliding her nail file into her pocket – I was surprised that it fit, considering how tight her dress pants seemed to be. "I think you can figure this out, Victoria. I'm not going to waste my time explaining and rationalizing my actions to you… all I'm going to say is this: I don't regret any of it. I did what was best for the future of my family in the supernatural world, and I would do it again if I had to."

And with that, she was gone.

* * *

Underneath her calm exterior, Tori was seething. I could tell by the way her eyes were shining – something about them had changed when she laid eyes on her mother…

It was downright terrifying.

"THAT BITCH!" she shrieked suddenly, startling me. "She went on letting me think that she was some sort of savior – protecting me from those phsycos – when all along she was leading me straight to them!" She brought her fist down on the table, sending her untouched plate of food flying across the room. I ducked, avoiding a fork that narrowly missed my left eye.

"T-Tori!" I yelled. "Calm down!"

She spun to face me, her expression deadly. "CALM _DOWN_?" she boomed. "You want me to _calm down_? Do you know how long I've been in here, Chloe? _Three months_! Three months in this fucking cell with no one to talk to and nothing to look at but those fucking blank walls! I sat here day after day, telling myself that it would all be alright, that it would be okay…" she trailed off, her gaze becoming distant. "She told me she'd come for me if they ever took me away…" she mumbled. "She told me she'd take care of me, keep me safe…" Her eyes refocused then, and she turned away, trying to hide the fact that she was crying. She wiped her cheek with the back of her hand and blinked rapidly, clearing her vision. "That lying bitch," she spat. "She'll pay for this. I'll make her pay if it's the last think I do."

I just sat there in shock as she made her vow, cowering pathetically on my bed… I had good reason, though – her eyes had turned an unnatural shade of electric blue, and there seemed to be an aura of the same colour enveloping her clenched fists. Tori appeared to be oblivious to all of it.

_This is getting to be waaaay too much for me to handle._

She turned to me then, acknowledging my presence for the first time since we'd entered the room. Her eyes had returned to normal, and her hands were no longer surrounded by the eerie blue cloud. "You wanted me in your little band of misfits?" she asked. "Congratulations - I'm joining. You can count me in on your stupid little suicide mission." She shuffled past me, making her way to the bathroom; I almost didn't hear her mumbling, "I have nothing to lose anymore."

She slammed the door to the bathroom, leaving me plastered to the cell wall. A few seconds later I heard the water turn on, and I decided it was time to escape reality for a few minutes. I peeled myself off the way slowly and slid into bed, replaying our encounter with Mrs. Enright over and over in my head: _what kind of mother could do that to their child?_ I wondered, before it hit me:

Mine had.

I could've sworn I heard muffled tears coming from the bathroom as I drifted off.

* * *

**Aww, guys, don't you feel bad for Tori?**

**You know what would make her feel better? If you guys sent in a bunch of reviews! :) I've been feeling kinda discouraged lately when it comes to this story… help me find my groove again! REVIEW! **

**Also, I'm having a mini-contest. I desperately need a title for my next story (a continuation of The Reckoning). Submit your ideas with your review (or PM me) and the person who sends in the best suggestion gets their pick of an outtake from this story (a hardcore make-out scene, perhaps?) OR gets to be an advanced reader for the next 3 chapters. Sound good? Please send in your suggestions!**

**And, you know, if it's not too much trouble… REVIEW! ;)**


	15. Trust

**OMG. Is dis real life? Am I actually updating within 5 days of my last update? The answer is yes, because I have 3 days off, I'm sick in bed, and I have no life. (Yay?)**

***Sighs* Guys, you know what I hate about flamers? The fact that they never give you the chance to answer their rude comments. I mean, if you're gunna rant about how my story sucks because it's exactly like The Reckoning (which apparently also sucks? WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE?) at least do me the courteously of letting me answer you, ya know? And why would you ask about a sequel if you hated it anyway? Don't be a coward, nameless person. I mean, CUMMON! And the fact that you didn't bother leaving anything CONSTRUCTIVE, which is the whole point of a review? Well, that just gives me free reign to make fun of you :)**

**Sorry guys, I had to get that off my chest. **

**ANYWAYS. Thank you all SOOOOOOO much for your reviews! Shoutouts to EVERYONE who reviewed (seriously! I love you ALL!), and a BIG shoutout to maveldiaz for putting up with me on twitter (I know I get annoying sometimes...) and to burning for talking me down from my ledge (it's scary up there! :P). **

**I still haven't picked the winner of the title contest, so keep sending in your suggestions! Remember, the prize is an outtake of your choice OR advanced copies of the next 3 chapters!**

**Enjoy the chapter, and sorry about the long A/N today!**

**

* * *

**

**Disclaimer: Steph and Christina are discussing random fantasies that will most likely never become a reality.**

Steph: *Skeptical*  
Seriously? Lemme get this straight… you wanna wax all the hair off your entire body and sleep in silk sheets?

Christina: *Smiling*  
Yepp! Don't you think it'll feel so good? Like when you first shave your legs and put on a silk skirt, except for your whole body!

Steph: No offense, Tina, but that's just kinda… strange.

Christina: *Offended*  
Oh yeah, well what about _your _fantasies, hmm?

Steph: *Excited*  
Well, I'd love to own the rights to DP one day…also, I'd like to go coffee and pastry tasting in France with Peeta and Derek! Also, I'd like to-

Christina: Imma let you finish, but lemme just say that MY fantasy was the BEST fantasy of ALL TIME! I mean, common! Coffee tasting? How boring! And you might as well just give up on the whole Derek and Peeta thing now… THRESH is where it's at, baby!

Steph: *About to cry*  
Well you know what? I don't need you! I have my books, my netbook, and my seasons of _Criminal Minds_ to keep me warm at night!  
*Hides behind fort constructed of all the books she bought in the past month*

* * *

**Trust**

Each betrayal begins with trust. The trust is broken the moment the betrayal begins.  
-Phish

* * *

I was shaken awake – rather roughly – by Tori.

"Cummon!" she hissed. "Get up! We have to go!"

"Wa?" I asked, confused and still half asleep.

"Your little escape plan? We have to go NOW!"

_That _woke me up in a hurry. "What? Are you crazy? We've only had an hour to plan! We need more time – you can't just rush into things like this!"

"We don't have time to pussy-foot around this," she whispered. "We have a plan, Chloe; now let's use it!"

"But we haven't even told the guys yet!" I countered, hoping to talk her out of it.

"We'll tell them when we get there. Now get up!" she ordered. I eased out of bed slowly, still not believing this was actually happening. Tori glared at me, her eyes wild. "Hurry up, blondie! We have to go now!"

_It's the insane leading the naïve_, I realized, suddenly less comfortable with this than I'd been before. "Tori… how exactly are we supposed to unlock the door?" I asked, knowing there was no way she could've gotten a key already.

"Simple." She walked over to the doorway and laid her hand over the complicated-looking mechanical components. I thought for a moment that she was going to try to pull them off the door; instead she closed her eyes, her brow furrowing in concentration.

"Um… Tori? Don't you think they would have anticipated you using magic to open the door?" I posed, feeling like I was the only logical one in the room. "Didn't they cast a lock spell or something to protect against that sort of thing?"

"They did," she said, her eyes still closed, her hand still resting on the door. "It was a good spell, too – one no normal witch could've broken…" She opened her eyes and turned around, her hand still poised on the lock. I almost jumped backwards at the sight of her – that eerie blue glow had returned to her eyes, and her hands were beginning to glow with that same blue hue. She smiled at me – probably amused by the obvious fear radiating off me. "…but in case you haven't noticed by now, blondie… me and you? Well, we're not exactly what you'd call _normal_, are we?" The aura around her hands flared for a moment, and it was so bright I had to turn away and shut my eyes.

When I looked back at her a few seconds later, Tori was standing in the open doorway looking smug. "Holy shit!" I mumbled, stepping closer to examine the door – whatever spell she had used had melted the entire lock mechanism and parts of the steel frame as well.

_This is crazy! If she can do that to a door, imagine what she could do to—_

"Tori, if you could do that all along, why didn't you try to escape before?"

"You _know _why," she said, crossing her arms. All traces of her smug grin were gone now, replaced by an almost Derek-worthy scowl. "Now let's go spring lover-boy and the asshole," she whispered.

"Simon is NOT an asshole!" I hissed. She pulled me to the door and motioned for me to be quiet as she stuck her head out to look for the guards. When she was sure the coast was clear, she turned her head to the side and whispered, "who said I was talking about Simon?"

She slipped into the hall, leaving me frozen in place by her words.

* * *

I followed Tori into the hall a few seconds later, having pulled myself together and telling myself that she must be seeing things.

_No, that's you, remember? _

_Not helping. Like, not at ALL._

No, Simon couldn't still have feelings for me… could he? Surely he'd gotten over me by now…

"Tori!" I looked down the hallway – remembering what I was supposed to be doing – and started to panic; Tori was nowhere to be seen.

"Tori, where are you?" I whispered, hoping she'd hear. If she'd been captured then our escape was over before it'd even begun.

"Right here!" She appeared before me, her smug smile back.

"How'd you-?"

"Cloaking spell," she explained simply. "Any more questions, or can we get this show on the road?"

"Yeah – what about the cameras?"

"I took care of that already," she told me. I looked over at the camera situated at the end of the hall and saw what she'd meant by 'took care of it' – the thing formerly known as a camera was now a dripping melted hunk of black plastic.

"Umm… t-that's…"

"Let's go!" She pulled me down the hall by the end of my sleeve, stopping in front of Simon and Derek's door. A few seconds and one creepy display of power later, the door was 'unlocked'.

She pushed it open.

* * *

"What the-?"

"We're leaving boys. Get your shit together and follow me."

Simon looked a little reluctant to listen to Tori; nonetheless, he grabbed his diabetes supplies off the table and made his way towards us, stopping when he realized Derek hadn't moved.

"You comin' bro?"

Derek didn't answer Simon; instead, he rounded on Tori, his arms crossed. "How'd you get out?" he demanded, somehow managing to sound menacing in a hushed whisper.

Tori fluttered her eyelashes and wound a piece of charcoal-black hair around her finger. "How'd I get out?" she repeated, her voice mockingly-sweet. "Well, I was like, 'Hey Dr. Davidoff, can you let us out pretty please? I promise we won't try to escape!' And then he let us out!" She rolled her eyes and dropped her hands, placing them on her hips instead. "How do you _think _we got out, _dipwad_? I used a SPELL." She moved her hand and waved her fingers half-heartedly. "Now, let's go already! We don't have time to stand around like morons and ask questions!"

Amazingly, Derek listened, entering the hallway and coming to stand in front of us. "Stand behind me," he commanded. "And you-" he gestured to Tori, "-stay behind me and lead the way."

* * *

Tori lead us through a few sets of double-doors and through what appeared to be a deserted wing of Davidoff's little compound, pausing to destroy the security cameras before the rest of us entered each hallway.

Fifteen minutes later, Derek began to grow impatient. "Do you even know where you're going?" he snapped. "There's no way the exit is this far from our rooms, or that it's this hard to find!"

"How about you stop whining and make yourself useful?" she retorted, not missing a beat. "Try scoping out the next hallway for guards – they're supposed to be posted around the exits, so if someone's there, it means we're close," Tori explained.

"And _how exactly _do you know all of this?" Simon asked, echoing my thoughts like he'd done so many times before.

"I told you I used to flirt with the guards; did you think I was doing it for fun or something?" She paused to look around, missing my eye-roll and Simon's nod. "Those idiots love to gloat about how awesome they are," she continued. "It makes 'em feel macho or some shit. 'Hey baby, wanna screw?'" she mimicked. "'There are guards at every door, so you're not getting outta here… wanna go back to your room and get it on?'"

I had to bite the inside of my cheek to keep from laughing – she had sounded exactly like the douchebags who'd made fun of me at school.

_School… will I ever go back? _I shook my head to clear my thoughts. _You can think about this later. Now is _not _the time._

"I can smell people in the next hallway." Derek's voice broke through the barrio of my thoughts, reminding me how much danger we were in.

Tori swore under her breath.

"We have to go around them," Simon stated, earning an eye-roll from Tori.

"Thank you, Captain Obvious! I hadn't figured that out yet!"

"Can you concentrate for three seconds?" Derek hissed. "We need to find an alternate exit."

"Go left," Tori directed, sounding bored.

We followed Derek left into another abandoned hallway after Tori had taken care of the security cameras. "That cloaking spell is amazing," Simon whispered to Tori when she'd returned. "Think you could teach me it when we get out of here?" he asked hopefully.

"Not on your life, sorcerer."

"But I could teach you some of mine if you wanted," he bargained.

"I don't need your magic," she barked, still managing to maintain a whisper.

Simon caught my eye and shrugged, then returned his gaze to the back of Tori's head. "Guys, do you think it's strange that no one-" He stopped mid-sentence, and I knew that he'd heard it too.

Voices. Coming from the hallway we'd just passed through.

"Shit, shit, shit! We need to get out of here!" Tori hissed through her teeth.

"Thank you, Captain Obvious! We hadn't figured that out yet!" Simon sneered, mocking her.

"Fuck you, blondie! This is serious!"

"And it wasn't serious ten minutes ago?"

"Not like _this_!"

"Will you both shut up please?" I snapped. "You can continue this later, when we're _not _in mortal danger!" They both crossed their arms and faced different directions, looking more like two siblings in an argument than people who were running for their lives.

We followed Derek through a pair of stainless- steel double doors, crashing into him when he stopped abruptly in front of the next set of doors. Tori was just about to open her mouth to complain when Derek motioned for us to be quiet. "There are people in there too," he barely whispered, pointing at the doors.

"Guards?" Tori guessed.

"Two of 'em," he answered. "Sorcerers, I think. They have tranq guns-" he sniffed, "-nothing else."

"What are we waiting here for, then? Let's go back the way we came and hide in one of the rooms," I suggested. He nodded, turning around, his hand poised on the doorknob. He turned it and pulled… nothing happened.

"It's locked?"

He nodded again, backing up. "There are guards in there, too," he said, looking panicked. "We're trapped."

The doors on either end of the hall burst open simultaneously and four guards entered, their guns pointed at our throats.

* * *

I was frozen in place again – not by fear, but by what I suspected was Tori's version of a binding spell, although Simon's had _never _been this powerful… I watched as Tori flitted over to the guards – unaffected, of course, which confirmed my suspicions about it being her spell – picked up one of their guns, and proceeded to shoot each guard in the neck.

Granted, they _were _just tranquillizers, but the way she had done it – in a cold, calm, and almost detached manner – was a little bit freaky.

The binding spell broke then, and the guards slumped to the ground unconscious. Tori shook her head, staring at one of the unconscious men. "They just don't make 'em like they used to," she said, shaking her head disappointedly. She returned to her position behind Derek. "And you people call yourselves supernaturals," she muttered. "Oh my gosh, we're trapped! What should we do? All we have are these stupid super-human powers to protect ourselves with!'" she mocked. "Pathetic."

"Now," she said, her voice returning to normal. "I'm gunna take out the next set out cameras. I'm pretty sure this is the last hallway until we reach the exit, so we should be home-free after this… no thanks to you guys, of course." She sauntered into the next hallway, grinning from ear to ear.

Simon shot her the finger, and Derek shook his head. "I don't trust her," he mumbled.

"What'd you mean you 'don't trust her'?" I asked, confused. "She just saved our asses AND helped us escape!"

"Exactly. There's no way she could've done everything she did - _know_ everything she knows without being one of them."

"It's not like that, Derek. She's on _our_ side."

He shook his head again and dropped his voice to something even quieter than a whisper. "Look, all I'm saying is she knows too much for a prisoner, okay? I know she says she got her information from the guards, but-"

Tori reappeared in the hallway, silencing Derek. "The cameras have been taken care of. Now let's get the hell outta dodge before sleeping beauty and co. decide to wake up."

* * *

Unlike the escape scenes in movies, ours was pretty uneventful. When we finally found the exit, there was no one there – the guards Tori'd taken care of' were probably the ones that'd been responsible for guarding the door. _Suckers._

After destroying the last of the cameras, Tori declared us 'home free'. We slipped through the door, elated, but on edge, because in the back of our minds – although we would never say it out loud - we'd known it'd been way too easy.

"_You're right," _the demi-demon's voice rang in my ears. "_You'll be back here before you know it, little necro... and I'll be waiting."_

I stumbled, grabbing on to Simon's arm to keep me steady. "Chloe?" he asked, worried. "Are you okay?"

I ignored him and concentrated. _Why? _I asked, hoping she could still hear me. _Why do you care so much about _me_?_

I could hear her chuckling inside my head. _"Why, you ask? It's because you're different than the rest, little necro. You're stronger. And that, my darling, makes you my ticket out of here."_

_

* * *

_

Once we were out, we had to make sure we remained hidden from sight. We cut through a few dozen backyards, then detoured into a wooded area, hoping we'd be harder to track that way. We were silent for a long time – each of us lost inside our heads. Only Derek really paid any attention to where we were going, occasionally telling us to wait while he tested the air for the scent of any Edison Group cronies. By mid morning we were all exhausted – the adrenaline having vanished from our systems long ago – but Derek refused to let us stop to rest.

"Why not?" Tori shrieked after Derek'd refused her request to stop the ninth time. "We're far away enough as it is, and we've been walking for hours! They're not gunna be able to find us here!"

"How do you know that?" he demanded, sounding tired and on-edge. "How do you know that they won't be able to find us here?"

"I just do, okay?" Tori sped up until she was walking in front of all of us, shoving her hands in her pocket as she went.

"Just like you 'just knew' the way out, or how you 'just knew' where the guards were posted?" he ventured, directing the question to the back of her head. "How do we know we can trust you?"

_Bad idea, Derek._

She stopped in her tracks, still facing the other way. "I told you how I got that information, and it was _your _choice to follow me, you jerk! You should be thanking me right now! I risked _my life _to save all THREE of your sorry asses!"

"I'm sure you did," he sneered. "What did they do, offer you a deal or something?"

"Derek," I said, tired of hearing him yell at her. "Tori's on our side, okay? She has no reason to work for the Edison Group, let alone _betray _us for them!"

"Oh, she has a reason, don't you Tori?" He pulled at the hair on the back of his neck, not meeting my glare. "They probably told her they'd bring mommy back safe and sound is she co-operated. Did they tell you that you'd get off scot-free, Tori? Did they tell you they'd let you go?" He was mocking her now, and to tell you the truth, I was ashamed of him. "Tell me," he continued, "how is it you had both the ability and the knowledge needed to escape and didn't utilize it for _three months_?"

"Enough, Derek. I'm serious. Leave her alone! You know she was waiting for her mom, and she changed her mind because yesterday-"

"Don't, Chloe; just don't, okay? You don't need to defend me to this prick." She stopped walking and spun to face Derek. "Are you done accusing me yet?" she snapped, obviously livid. "No? Well then, how about you blame me for something else while you're at it? Global warming, world hunger, the unfortunate trend of chunky women wearing brightly coloured spandex pants… go ahead, take your pick, big guy! Get it off your chest! Let 'er rip if it's gunna make you feel better! I don't have all day!"

We were all stunned into silence.

Tori's expression softened. "Look… I know they offered you that deal – they offer it to _everyone_, but that doesn't mean anyone takes it! I mean,_ common_! I've hated these people my entire life, and you expect me to forget that when they offer me a shred of hope?" She shook her head. "No way man. They turned us all into freaks; I wouldn't work for them if my life depended on it." Derek nodded slowly, agreeing with what she was saying. Nothing about what Tori's said had surprised him, and it was then that I realized something momentous…

"They offered you a deal?" Simon asked, sounding both amazed and offended. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"No point," Derek stated bluntly.

"Wait a second. You've known all along and you _DIDN'T TELL ME_?" His eyes widened, and he reached for my arm. I jerked back, not wanting him anywhere near me at that moment. "You knew that we weren't normal, and you kept it from me? What happened to 'no more secrets', Derek? You promised me that you wouldn't keep shit like that from me anymore!"

"Chloe, I was going to tell you, I swear!"

"You had years to tell me, years!"

"How was I supposed to tell you? 'Hey Chloe, guess what? We're majorly f-ed up biologically… just thought you should know!'"

"It doesn't matter!" I spat. "When I asked you if it was normal to raise _corpses_ without wanting to, you told me it was fine! You told me _I _was fine; I'm not _fine_, Derek! None of us are!"

I stepped away from him and forced my voice down to a calm whisper. "You've been bitching for hours about how Tori can't be trusted, but it's _you _we can't trust, and I can't deal with that anymore."

Everyone was silent… except Tori. "Aww, is fido in the doghouse?" she cooed, holding back her giggles. She grabbed my hand and tugged me towards a spot with a less dense concentration of trees, calling back, "screw walking! I played superhero and I'm gunna get my 12 hours, got it?"

I felt the brush of someone's fingers against my back. "Chloe, please-"

"Don't. Don't touch me," I growled. I felt him step back in shock, and I knew something had happened in that instant - something had broken between us.

Trust, friendship, whatever we'd had the past few weeks … gone. Broken.

Beyond repair.

* * *

**OMG, did you hear? Chloe and Derek broke up! **

**Temporarily.**

**I think. **

**:|**

**OMG guys, guess what? **

**I'm famous! **

**Actually, I'm not, but when you google "The Boy with the Emerald Eyes" it's like, the fourth or fifth link! SUCCESS! :D**

**I hope you enjoyed the chapter! Will you leave me some reviews? Please? I'm sick in bed and need some cheering up… do I have to do the puppy dog face? Do I? :( **

**Ok, if the puppy dog face doesn't work… how about I get started on the next chapter once we hit 25 reviews? I think it' a fair deal, don't you? You guys usually pass 25 the day after I post anyway, so it's not asking that much… **

**Please, REVIEW! :) I need to know whether I effed this up or not!**


	16. History

Hey guys! It's been a while, but I'm back and ready to update!

**Contest Update**: To the person who submitted "The Shining" for a title, congrats! Don't get too excited though! You didn't win… however, you DID make me have a nightmare about that Stephen King novel, which gave me some inspiration for another story :) To everyone else: the contest isn't over yet, so keep sending in those ideas! The winner gets either a TBWTEE outtake of their choice OR gets to read 3 chapters of TBWTEE before they're posted.

Shoutouts to: **DreamDark**, **vampiremom1221**(yes, Tori is awesome, glad you noticed ;P), **HystericalMess** (Oh my gnome! Thank you for the hilarious review!), **Greekfreak11** (everyone seems to wish that I'd stay sick… why people? I'd be so much more useful to you if I was healthy! :P), **piercingemeralds2** (your review made me smile like an idiot the entire day! Thank you SO SO much!), **not-so-innocent011**, **Jamie Kay Huntt **(sorry for causing all those freak-outs! I'd promise to keep the rest of the story stress-free, but that'd be no fun!), **MorbidMandy** (Have you made that voodoo doll yet? :P), **JessiKa xoxo** (Welcome back to fanfic land! I'm glad you like badass Tori!), **cowgirl137** (I'm trying, but what if they CAN'T be fixed?), **Fanpire4000 **for her awesome book recs, **kenhat** (thanks for volunteering, but I can't let you track down people from the net… they might be creepy stalkers or fanfic writers or something!), **burning** (Derek meets the Hulk would probably scare the crap outta Simon!), **c.a.a** (Imma let you finish, but…), **Megan1339**, and **agony-fairy**.

*Breaths out dramatically* OK, there are my shoutouts for the last 3 or 4 updates. Enjoy the chapter!

* * *

**Disclaimer: Steph and Christina are relaxing after a long month of exams and studying.**

Steph: So I'm guessing the silk sheets thing didn't work for you…?

Christina: Did you really expect it to work out? I mean, I have 2 older brothers and I live with my parents!

Steph: *Laughs*

Christina: *Being overdramatic*  
Why can't I have the best of _all _worlds?

Steph: *Raises eyebrows at the Hannah Montana reference*  
Because that last sentence of yours was SO grammatically incorrect that you angered the silk sheet gods AND Microsoft word. Look at that green squiggly line!

Christina: *Sad*  
What about Jesus? He's my homeboy! Is he mad at me too?

Steph: Buddah, Jesus, Mohammed… take your pick! THEYZ ALL ANGRY WITCHU!

Christina: *Angry*  
Oh yeah? Well, your fantasy is NEVER gunna happen, so there! You're never gunna own DP, and you're never going to meet Peeta OR Derek! You know what that means? The gods are angry witchu too!

Steph: *Shrugs*  
Probably. They wanted me to off you, but I told them I needed you for disclaimers…

Christina: *Eyes widen in horror*

Steph: *Smiles wide*  
Yupp, that's right. From now on, you're my bitch.  
*Winks*

Note: The disclaimer is not meant to offend anyone, so don't send me hate mail :(

* * *

**History**

_"History is a series of crimes, follies, and misfortunes."_

-Edward Gibbon

* * *

"_Chloe..." he placed his fingers underneath my chin and gently turned my face towards him. I looked up and met his gaze. "Would it change things if I told you... if I told you that I love you and don't want you to get hurt?" _

I'd laid against a tree after Tori'd pulled me away, and we'd talked for a few hours before she decided she needed to get some sleep. I agreed with her and assured her I'd do the same, but 3 hours after she'd begun to snore I was still sitting against the tree, thinking about everything that had transpired in the past couple of days. I felt like my head was going to explode – like someone'd cut open my skull and stuffed it with scenes, sounds, and words. I ached for the comfort of my journal, where I could write it all down and sort out how I felt – figure out what I needed to do. Everything was so out of control, and it made me anxious, knowing that I couldn't do anything to alter or change the outcome of a situation or choice we made…

I looked around, studying Simon and Tori's sleeping forms – would they make it through this 'war'? Would I? The way Tori'd described it, kids like her, Simon, and Derek had been trained since birth as soldiers and martyrs – always ready to fight, and (if the time came), sacrifice themselves in order to help their side win. They had their powers and their experience to keep them safe… all I had was an old piece of jewellery with questionable dependability, and nothing much else – unless you counted watching the crazy girl talk to ghosts as a distraction or strategically tactic.

How far would my friends go to ensure their side was victorious? How far would they be willing to go to keep me safe? The thought alone was twisting my stomach into knots.

I willed myself to fall asleep, hoping that the oblivion of sleep would block out my thoughts for a while. I needed time to just… think, and I wasn't going to get it if I was useless and exhausted.

I managed to fall asleep, but I tossed and turned the whole entire time – well, as much as you can possibly toss and turn against a tree. I couldn't keep my eyes open, but at the same time, it was as if they refused to stay closed. I thought about all the times I'd fallen asleep when I was a child – I'd be in dreamland as soon as my head hit the pillow – and my heart ached for those happier, simpler times… had my parents been keeping secret from me as well? Of course – huge, life-altering secrets – but I'd been so oblivious that I'd never realized anything was amiss. _I wish we could go back to those days; the days when life was simple and nothing was scary, or difficult, or too much to handle…_

After more than three hours of closing my eyes and praying for sleep to take over, I gave up… _Who needs sleep, anyway? I have better things to do._

I glanced over at the patch of trees the boys were sharing and glared at the back of Derek's head – childish, yes… but it made me feel better, because in my sleep deprived mind, it was Derek's fault that I was still awake.

I knew I'd overreacted slightly, but finding out that Derek – the one person I thought I could trust completely – had been lying to me _again _in the midst of our situation was too much; It'd been a long few days, and I'd taken it out on him… although he _had _deserved it for the most part…

_You had years to tell me, years!"_

_"How was I supposed to tell you? 'Hey Chloe, guess what? We're majorly f-ed up biologically… just thought you should know!'"_

_"It doesn't matter!" I'd spat. "When I asked you if it was normal to raise __corpses __without wanting to, you told me it was fine! You told me __I __was fine; I'm not __fine__, Derek! None of us are!"_

_I stepped away from him and forced my voice down to a calm whisper. "You've been bitching for hours about how Tori can't be trusted, but it's __you __we can't trust, and I can't deal with that anymore."_

I felt guilty – which was probably why I was still awake after all the excitement of our little jailbreak – but I also knew that I wasn't the only one at fault. Derek _had _chosen to keep a monumental secret from me for _years_, not bothering to tell me that what I could do – what I _was _– wasn't normal. Now that I knew what he'd been hiding for so long, a lot of things started to make more sense…

"_We don't have to tell her, Simon! We can leave now and she can go back to living her life like a normal kid. No one has to know."_

_"But she's __not __normal, Derek! Someday someone's gunna find out, and then they'll come and take her away and it'll be all our faults!"_

Obviously Simon had known all along and had wanted to tell me… had Derek convinced him to keep it a secret? It must've taken a lot of effort, considering all the times Simon had told me things Derek didn't want me to know…

_Cummon Chloe! We've seen you talking to __no body__! Either you can talk to ghosts or you're kookier than… that bird who loves coco puffs!"_

_"You've seen me…?"_

_"Yep! You were just sittin' there, talking to something in front of the wall, and-"_

_"Hold on a sec! You guys were __spying __on me, and you're calling __ME __the crazy one?"_

Simon had become flustered, his little face turning red_. "It was an accident the first time, I swear!"_

_My_ face flushed as I remembered that day – how badly I'd been shaking when I'd called to the strangers in the forest, and how embarrassed I'd been when I found out Simon and Derek had been spying on me while I talked to my mother… _what would my life be like now if they hadn't seen that? _I wondered. _Would we be where we are today… or would we be complete strangers?_

I looked up at the branches of the tree I was leaning against and sighed. _This is way too much to take in. I need time to process all of this or I'm going to have a nervous breakdown or something._

I looked over to where the boys were situated again and crossed my arms. Derek was leaning against a tree a few dozen feet away with his back to Tori and I, his arms crossed as well.

"_Would it things if I told you…__ if I told you that I love you and don't want you to get hurt?" _

_Would it change my mind? _I wondered. The part of me that was angry at Derek was screaming 'no!', but at the same time, the part of me that felt guilty – the Chloe who remembered the hellish weeks she'd spent without Derek in little more than a coma – wanted to go over there and speak to him, to tell him that he was forgiven… Out of the corner of my eye I saw him shift fractionally, trying to get comfortable. I'd known he was awake – Derek had already designated himself 'official protector' of our little misfit group, and he was probably keeping a lookout for Edison Group employees (and cronies) – but it was still a little strange thinking about him so much when he was so close.

_Relax, _I chided myself. _It's not like he can hear your thoughts or something. His hearing isn't THAT great._

I looked over at Derek again, biting my lip. Could I forgive him? I knew I probably would, but could we ever go back to the way we were before? Could I trust him with everything – my secrets, my deepest, darkest thoughts… and what about my _heart_? Could I keep trusting him with _that_, or was I setting myself up for heartbreak?

I couldn't stop the thoughts from creeping in, aided by the obvious tension in the air. _What's wrong with you? This is DEREK you're talking about! He's been your best friend since you were ten years old!_

_Exactly. How could he have kept such a huge secret from me for all this time? And why on Earth would he do it?_

_Ask him._

I decided to do just that.

I sighed and fiddled with the pendant hanging from my neck. "I want to know why you did it," I said quietly, studying the stone in my hands incase he turned around.

He tensed, then turned around slowly, obviously surprised that I'd spoken to him. "Are you gunna let me explain?" he asked, sounding doubtful and hopeful all at once.

"I don't wanna hear some half-ass excuse right now, Derek," I said, regretting ever saying anything at all. "Just leave me alone… please?"

"Just hear me out," he begged, getting up and moving towards me.

I sighed and rolled my eyes, giving in. "You have exactly two minutes to explain, and then you're gunna leave me alone until I give you permission to do otherwise. Understood?"

He smiled crookedly. "Just two minutes?" he asked incredulously.

"You're wasting your time," I reminded him in a detached tone, my expression blank.

"Right, sorry."

Silence, and his seconds were ticking away. "So…?"

He grabbed the hair at the back of his head and stared at the ground. "I've known for a while," he said finally. "When I was ten, I found some of dad's old files. They were locked in a filing cabinet, but I got it open and stole the files before my dad could notice."

He took a deep breath in and continued, his gaze distant. "Reading those files was the worst mistake of my life, Chloe. They called us 'specimens', and 'subjects' and bragged about what they'd done to us…" he exhaled unsteadily and tried to regain his composure. "That day in your backyard, when you asked me if communicating with ghosts was your only ability… I lied to you because I didn't want you to have to carry the burden of something like that without having to. I told myself that it was okay, that I tell you when you were a bit older and ready… but then you raised that kitten."

"What does that poor thing have to do with you keeping this huge secret from me?" I snapped impatiently. I felt like lately he'd been ripping away the good pieces of my childhood bit by bit, leaving me with only the bad memories; I couldn't take it much longer. _Get to the point already!_

"A lot, actually."

"Do explain!" I said, sarcasm colouring my tone.

He moved closer, until there was less than a half a foot between us. He reached for my hand and I almost yanked it back before I realized he was looking at my pendant. He gently eased it out of my grasp, held it reverently and studied it, not saying a word. "I promised myself I'd tell you after you turned 14," he said finally. "I was ready to tell you, too; but then you raised that kitten and something changed inside you, Chloe… even Simon could see it! It was like something died inside you, and it seemed like you wanted to die too…"

"I'm not and have never been suicidal, Derek," I said slowly, speaking like you would to a young child. "And I still don't see why that would-"

"Do you have any idea what it's like to watch the person you love hate themselves?" he asked suddenly, looking up from the necklace in his hands. "To watch them deteriorate in front of your eyes when you know you can't do anything more to help them?"

_Did he just say…? _

I couldn't look away – couldn't rip my gaze away from his, no matter how much I wanted to or how hard I tried. "I couldn't tell you after all that," he whispered sadly. "Not when you were already so miserable. I couldn't watch you destroy yourself over this any more than I already had."

He dropped my necklace into my hand, his eyes never breaking contact with mine. "I get why you're mad - I had no right to keep that secret from you at all, and I'll understand if you want nothing to do with me after this – but I want you to know that I did it to protect you, Chloe. I would never have kept something like that from you otherwise."

He stopped talking and waited for me to respond. When I didn't, he became anxious. "Chloe?" I looked up, and his face was inches from mine.

I moved back quickly, realizing how close we'd gotten while he was talking. I almost missed the hurt expression that crossed his face before he smiled weakly at me, waiting for an answer.

"I think… I think I need some time… some space… to process all of this," I whispered, hugging my arms to my chest. I could hear the exhaustion in my voice, but I knew I wasn't going to be getting any sleep any time soon anyway… He nodded understandingly and got up to move. I caught a glimpse of his eyes before he moved, and I could tell he had been hoping for a different reaction from me.

I reached out and grabbed his hand as he stood up. "Wait."

He stared at me in confusion, but I could see the hopeful expression he was trying to downplay.

What was I going to say to him? I hadn't thought about that before I grabbed his hand… what _could _I say?

_How about, "I love you and I forgive you and I'm not going to fall asleep unless you stay with me and keep the nightmares away…"?_

"I-I… I'm sorry about what I said before," I apologized sincerely. "What I said about not trusting you and everything… I was just angry; I didn't mean it."

"You don't have to apologize, Chloe. You were right. Every word was true," he said solemnly.

"No! I didn't-"

"Yes, you did. You always do," he echoed, reminding me of the day I'd said those exact words to him myself. He looked away, focusing on his hand – the one I was still holding on to. I dropped it like he'd electrocuted me or something, then watched as he made his way back to his post near Simon.

_I'm such an idiot! Why didn't I at least tell him he was forgiven? _I rubbed my eyes and let my face rest in my hands, trying to figure out why I hadn't said something else to him. _And on top of all that, he told me he loved me, and I didn't even acknowledge it… what's wrong with me?_

_Easy: you've been through a few dozen traumatic experiences and have been been altered consequentially._

_I meant other than that._

Images from the night Derek'd appeared on my balcony a few weeks ago filled my mind. _What if that happens again, but you can't fix 'em this time? What would you regret? _I pictured him dying in front of me while I stood there unable to do anything to help…_ just like he'd been all those years. _I could feel tears forming and forced myself to stop thinking about that, concentrating on a nearby tree until I was sure no tears were going to escape. _I can't let that happen to him; not to him or Simon or Tori._

I lifted my face from my hands and looked at him, still watching out for us even though he was probably more exhausted than I was…

"I love you too," I whispered, almost inaudibly. "…but I need time to think – time to work this all out. I can't be with you if I don't."

I peered over at him, watching and waiting for his reaction.

He didn't even move.

I knew he heard me.

* * *

**A/N:** **Were you expecting them to get back together? If so, sorry about your luck! (Btw, I'm totally kidding. This is tearing me up inside!)**

**Sorry this took so long! Exams and such are keeping me busier than I like to be, but summer is the light at the end of the Godforsaken tunnel, so… forgive me? Next update will be in around 2 weeks, but after that updates will become WAY more frequent (once every couple of days) so don't forget about me! Also, remember to send in your contest entries because I wanna get started on the prizes / the new story!**

**If you're looking for something to read, ask me and I'll give you my list ;) I really recommend _White Cat _by Holly Black, and I definitely recommend _Stolen _by Lucy Christopher (actually, fanpire4000 gets credit for that one!) ****BTW, Darkness Rising (Kelley's new series) #2 is called "The Calling". Thoughts?**

**Reviews make me happy, especially when I get at least 25, so…** **REVIEW!**


	17. Encounters

Guys, I can't believe it. School is… done? Over? Really? I have 2 months to do nothing but read and write?

EPICCCCC. ;)

So I've been thinking… at this time last year, I was updating twice a day. Now it's like, once every 2 or 3 weeks? What's going on?

Please excuse the randomness, I'm just insanely hyper. Also, I'd just like to thank everyone who has put up with me through all my sporadic updates and everything. Shoutouts go out to: **NecroPrincess7**, **JessiKa xoxo**, **Crazy. About. Converse.**, **Greekfreak11**, **ShylyOutgoing**, **sally94**, **LauRa-ReaDinG-XoX** (thanks for pimping me out to your friends! XD), **Fanpire4000**, **fdty**, **suzi1811** (doesn't everyone wanna give Derek a hug?), **burning**.., **vampiremom1221**, **SpiritandBlood**, **Jamie Kay Huntt**, **DreamDark** (Since I haven't updated in a while, I'm guessing I'm _not _forgiven?), **xxStarBrightxx**, **FreyasWrath** (I don't even know what to say. You deserve more than a shoutout! Like maybe a super-ultra-mega-ULTIMATE AWESOMENESS shoutout? Still not enough? How about an angsty Derek and Chloe moment? :P). Thank you guys all for reviewing!

BTW, I'd just like to remind you guys that the AMAZING freyaswrath has returned to fanfic land, so made sure you go check out her wonderful stories and leave her some love (that goes for all of you who subscribe but don't review, you bums! :P)

Long enough A/N? I think so!

Enjoy!

* * *

**Disclaimer: Steph finally managed to get Christina to read the entire _Harry Potter _Series.**

Christina: *Screams*  
OMG!

Steph: *Jumps*  
What? What's going on?  
*Looks around frantically*

Christina: *Holds up book*  
Scabbers is Peter Pettigrew? WTF?

Steph: Yeah, I know! Isn't that such a good twist?

Christina: *Tearing up*  
Good twist? Ron gave that rat the best years of his life!

Steph: But… it was all a lie, so it's better this way! You don't want Ron living a lie, do you?

Christina: Oh yeah? Well you know what else is a lie? YOU OWNING DP!

Steph: *Confused*  
Dude, that didn't even make sense. How am I supposed to use that for a disclaimer?

Christina: *Sniffles*  
Sorry... I'm just… very upset right now.

* * *

Encounters

"_You may encounter may defeats, but you must not be defeated. In fact, it may be necessary to encounter the defeats, so you can know who you are, what you can rise from, how you can still come out of it."_

-Maya Angelou

* * *

Oddly enough, I somehow managed to fall asleep, even after everything that'd happened that night.

I awoke the next morning feeling groggy and disorientated. There was a dull ache in throat as well, which meant I was getting sick… _Great. That's just what I need right now – come down with the flu while we're running for our lives._

I glanced downward at the sweater that'd been draped over me while I slept – it was warm, but it was way too small to be Derek's… Simon's maybe? _Come to think of it, Simon was the only one with a sweater when we left… _I slid my arms through the sleeves and hugged the sweater to my chest – it _was_ cold out, and I was grateful for his generosity… no matter how guilty it made me feel.

Was Simon still angry with Derek and I for keeping things from him? He hadn't shown any sign of holding a grudge or anything, and he hadn't gotten angry when he'd walked in on Derek and I 'talking' in the bathroom…

"Are you feeling okay, Chloe?"

I jumped, not having heard his approaching footsteps. How long had he been standing there?

"Yeah," I croacked, immediately regretting speaking; that one word had set my throat on fire on its way out, and it hadn't even sounded convincing to _my _ears.

Simon laughed nervously. "I'll take that as a 'no'. How are you feeling?"

"Awful," I admitted. "But I can handle it. It's no big deal, really." He looked worried all the same, so I decided a change of subject was in order. "By the way, thanks for the sweater, Simon, but aren't you cold? You can have it back if you want, I don't mi-"

He raised a hand to cut me off. "Keep it, Chlo. Tori showed me spell that raises your body temperature, so I'm good… trust me."

"I do. And Simon?"

"Yeah?"

"Thanks."

There was an awkward silence then – one of those seemingly endless voids in the conversation where you feel like every word you say will get sucked into the big black hole of one-word answers and forced small talk about the weather. It was one of those painful silences between two old friends who don't speak anymore… a silence between two people who know there is _so much _left to say, and yet neither one is willing to be the one to say it.

"So… where'd Tori and Derek run off to?" I ventured, realizing that we were alone under the canopy of the forest. It was a lame attempt at a conversation starter, but I was curious… and maybe a little desperate.

Simon cleared his throat. "Umm… Derek said something about scoping out that town nearby, and Tori tagged along. We were all gunna go, but Derek said we should wake you… They should be back soon, though – Derek said it'd only take an hour or two."

I asked the obvious question. "How long have they been gone?"

"I have no idea," he confessed. "I think it's been almost an hour, but who know? The trees block out the sun, so there's no way to find out."

_Okay…_ "How about we give them another half-hour or so, and if they're not back by then, we'll go looking?"

"Sounds good," he said, sitting down and leaning his back against a large tree trunk. We lapsed into silence again, and it was just as uncomfortable as the first time.

After a while, I decided enough was enough. "Simon… can we talk?"

He looked apprehensive, like he already knew what I was going to say but still hoped he was wrong. "Umm… sure Chloe. What's up?"

I patted the ground next to me, indicating that he should move closer. When he didn't, I felt my heart sink a little. Is this what it had come to between us? Awkward silences and tense moments the only reminder of how close we'd been once upon a time?

I tried not to show him how disappointed I was – how much this simple little rejection really hurt – but Simon knew me well enough to see through any forced smile or lame excuse, so I just smiled half-heartedly and waited, hoping he'd change his mind.

I watched as he bit his lip nervously and looked away, not willing to meet my gaze.

_Just look at what you've done! Stupid mistake after stupid mistake, selfish choice after selfish choice; now you've lost them both._

I shook my head, banishing the thought. Part of me _knew _it was true, but the other part – the stronger, determined part - wasn't willing to admit defeat yet.

"Look…" I began, struggling to find the right words. "I know you probably don't want to hear this, but I never got a chance to explain after you found us that day, and I- I need to say this, Simon, because it's _killing _me, and… you probably don't want to hear some lame-ass attempt at an apology, but just… do me a favour and hear me out, okay?" I glanced over, waiting for his reaction. His face remained emotionless, like he didn't quite understand...

I _had_ raced through my little speech rather quickly, and when he didn't respond right away, I realized it had probably been _too _quickly…

He answered, just as I was about to repeat everything I'd said to him again. "I know what this is about, Chloe, and I appreciate you wanting to - but you don't need to apologize to me. I forgave you and Derek a while back," he assured me.

"I do need to do this... trust me."

"I don't understand…"

"You shouldn't have had to forgive _Derek_!" I stressed. "It was all me, Simon!"

"What are you talking about?" he asked, confused.

"Keeping those secrets from you, not telling you he was visiting me daily… I _begged him _to come visit me every day, and _I'm _the one who told him not to tell you!" I confessed, knowing it was about time I fessed up and took responsibility for what I'd done. _Maybe… maybe he won't be as angry if he knows it was all my idea?_ I glanced over and watched him test out the words.

"Y-You…?" He looked shocked - hurt even – but there was no sign of anger anywhere on his face. _He really thought Derek would do that to him?_

"Yeah! Did you really think your brother was the one who wanted to keep all that from you?"

"I don't know. I thought he-"

"It was all me, Simon. All of it." I took a deep breath, preparing to let it all out. "You wanna know the worst part? I was awake when you found us that day – when you guys were arguing – and I pretended to sleep while Derek took the blame for everything."

"You heard us arguing?"

I nodded with my eyes downcast, ashamed of myself.

"But… why? Why would you wanna keep me outta the loop? Were you annoyed by me or something?" he asked, the hurt evident in his voice.

"Not at all!" I said, feeling like the world's biggest bitch. I took a deep breath to steady my voice before attempting to explain. "It all started when Andrew and Lauren were talking about sending me to a therapist. Remember?"

"Yeah… we were around thirteen then, weren't we?"

"I think so… Anyways, do you remember how I would talk to my mom every night, and Derek said I had to stop before Lauren and Andrew found out? That was when I asked Derek to start coming every night, because I told him I needed to talk to someone to keep me from summoning my mom."

"Makes sense… but I still don't get why you wouldn't tell _me_, Chloe. I would have come too – I would've been glad to."

"I don't even know that myself, Simon. It just… it started off as something me and Derek did together, and it just… it was our 'thing', ya know?" Then it just became this huge secret between us, and we couldn't tell you because we didn't know how you'd react and we were afraid-"

"That I'd get pissed and run away?" he deadpanned.

"Ouch."

"What? That's what I did, isn't it? I threw a fit and ran away from home like the overdramatic idiot I am. This-" he waved his hand, gesturing to the trees, "is all my fault. If I'd just sucked it up and accepted the fact that you didn't like me like _that_, this wouldn't be happening to us, would it? We'd all be home -"

"Wait, wait, wait! Pause for a sec, okay? How did this go from me apologizing to you talking the blame for all this, Simon?"

He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "Because I knew there was something between you guys, Chlo. I should've backed off or something, but I didn't wanna accept the fact that you didn't have those feelings for me."

"W-What do you mean? There wasn't anything between us until-" I was going to say 'after you disappeared, but I realized how bad it would sound and caught myself. "Well, until now, I guess."

"Suuuure," he teased, rolling his eyes. "Seriously though, Chloe; you guys had this… _vibe_, like you knew exactly what the other person was gunna say or do. It was like I was interrupting some major moment whenever I joined the conversation or something," he said.

I cocked an eyebrow at him. "Simon, I don't know how to ask you this, but… have you been reading _Twilight _again?"

He narrowed his eyes at me and glared before his signature crooked smile returned. "I'm not kidding, Chlo. You should trust me on this one – just because I was too proud to acknowledge what was going on, doesn't mean _you _should do the same." He winked at me, and I stuck my tongue out at him, although there was a little voice inside my head begging me to listen to what he was saying. "That's why I already forgave you guys. I think I forgave you ten minutes after I left home, if I'm being completely honest."

I nodded, still waiting for him to yell something along the lines of 'LOL, JUST KIDDING! I HATE YOUR GUTS!'

I waited, convinced he was about to do just that. When he didn't, I breathed a sigh of relief. "Seriously though, Simon – I'm taking those books away from you when we get back. Reading them once is okay, but three times each? That's just unhealthy."

"Very funny, but I'll have you know they're in a very secure, secret place that you have no hopes of -"

"You call 'under your bed' a very secure, secret place?"

His eyes widened in mock surprise. "How'd you know?" he asked, his hand over his heart. I started cracking up, and soon we were both laughing like complete lunatics.

Once we'd composed ourselves again, Simon returned to the topic of Derek and I. "This is probably gunna sound creepy, but what are you and Derek exactly? Tori and I saw your little reunion, but then you guys fought…"

"Right now, we're not even speaking," I said solemnly, feeling my heart ache a little at the memory – had it really only been a day since we'd been making out shamelessly on a _bathroom counter_?

"Did he…?" Simon began, letting the sentence trail off.

"He… he told me everything, but I told him I need some space to process it all… it was a lot to take in, you know?"

"Yeah, it is… just don't take too long, okay? I can tell he's really beating himself up about it."

I nodded, ready to change the subject. Thinking about last night made me feel worse than I had before, and I really didn't want to relay the story to Simon… it felt like something private - not something you tell your friends.

"So… we're going to that town once they get back, right?"

"Yepp. We need to get food and stuff, and at the risk of sounding like a sissy… this place really creeps me out."

"I know what you mean. I keep thinking someone's gunna sneak up on us or something, and-"

"DO. YOU. HOWL. AT. THE. MOON? It's a simple question, big guy!" I stood, hearing Tori's voice through the trees. Simon copied my movements, coming to stand next to me while I looked for the direction Tori's voice had drifted from.

"Tori?" I called.

"Who else?" she said, stepping through the last of the trees. She had a smug smile on her face as she deposited her backpack on the ground, then bent to open it. "We brought food! Hope you're hungry…" She threw me a granola bar, then straightened up and strode over. "How're you feeling?" she asked.

"Okay," I said. I wasn't lying – I'd forgotten all about my aching throat while Simon and I'd been talking.

"That's-" she stopped, noticing Simon for the first time. "What are you looking at?" she snapped. "Go make yourself useful and help wolf-boy with the rest of the stuff!" He didn't need to be told twice. Simon shot me an apologetic look before rushing off, and I had to stifle a laugh.

"So what happened with you guys last night?" she whispered, handing me a juice box from her backpack.

"L-Last night? Who said anything happened last night?"

She rolled her eyes. "Please Chloe, don't insult my intelligence - no one sleeps in till 1 pm unless they've been up half the night, and you have some serious bags under your eyes, so don't even try to deny that."

"Fine. I was awake, okay? But why would you think something happened…?"

"Because wolf-boy was awake too, and something was bound to happen between you guys, so spill."

I crossed my arms. "Nothing happened, Tori, we just-"

"You guys ready to go?" Simon called, Derek right behind him. They were each carrying a backpack and some grocery bags.

Simon handed me a bag; inside was a plain black backpack like Tori's. "You ready?" he asked, passing me a grocery bag full of supplies to put inside the pack.

"Uh, sure I guess. Where are we going exactly?"

"Apparently they found an abandoned house, and we're gunna hang out there until we figure out what to do," he explained.

"Alright then," I said, looking up from the bag I was unsuccessfully trying to force the supplies into, expecting to see Simon standing over me. Instead my gaze met Derek's, and I froze, caught off guard.

"Here." He gently tugged the bag from my grasp and pulled out everything I'd thrown in, rearranging them so they'd fit. I stood there, frozen, as he organized the bag for me. When he was done, he handed me the backpack, along with a pack of cough drops he'd pulled out of his pocket.

I took them from him with a whispered 'thanks'. No one said a word as I slung the bag over my shoulder, and we left our little patch of trees just as silently.

* * *

I was alone with my thoughts during the entire walk… which would've been kinda enjoyable if it hadn't been for the solitary thought that refused to stop replaying itself in my mind: _I told him I loved him last night, and he doesn't say a word. Now he's tripping over himself to be helpful? _

I glanced over at him, watching as he carried both our bags effortlessly – I'd tripped earlier, and he'd plucked it off my back wordlessly, slinging it over his own shoulder once Tori'd helped me up. _He probably feels guilty for keeping me up to talk last night, _I decided, sick of guessing at his motives.

We'd been walking for over 45 minutes when we finally reached the edge of the forest. We all paused before entering the town, Simon and I waiting for our instructions from Tori. "Here's the deal," she said, sounding authoritative. "The house is on a street with a bunch of neighbours and people watching, so we're gunna have to walk around for a while and wait until nightfall to break in. Once it gets dark, I'll unlock the door and we'll slip in. It should be pretty warm in there, but if it isn't, we're gunna have to tough it out, because we can't turn on the heat. Got it?" We nodded our understanding, then followed her through the last of the trees.

The city was nothing special – it was more of a large town, really – but there were places to buy food and clothes and waste time, and that was all we need anyway. We grabbed a map from one of the tourist shops, 4 flashlights, batteries, and some more food – just to be safe. We also bought a couple of sweaters each, realizing that we'd be needing them if the next few days were anything like the previous few.

After a few hours of wandering aimlessly around town, Tori declared it dark enough to break into the house. She and Derek led us through a couple of normal looking streets, hurrying us along, then stopped outside an imposing-looking brick building.

"What is this place?" Simon asked, sounding more than a little bit anxious.

"Nowhere important, we just needed a safe place to tell you guys about what's up ahead," Tori explained.

"What's up ahead?" I asked, not liking the way she said 'up ahead' – it sounded like she was giving us a pep talk before slaying a dragon or some other equally impossible-to-accomplish feat.

"Let's just say it's not the _greatest _neighbourhood to be in at night, okay?"

"You're kidding, right?"

She smiled. "Unfortunately not… but don't worry, Chloe! You've got wolf-boy and I to protect you from the big bad gang-bangers."

"Thanks Tori. I feel _sooo _much better now!" I said sarcastically, rolling my eyes even though no one could see me.

"Relax," Derek said, surprising us all. "No one's gunna come anywhere near you, okay?"

I nodded and looked down at my shoes, feeling like an idiot. _Of course no one's gunna bother us – we have a werewolf body guard and an out-of-control witch on our side._

We entered the alley silently, trying to keep as low a profile as possible. I jumped at every little sound, and I blamed my restless night's sleep for making me so high-strung. We trudged through dozens of alleys and creepy looking side-streets, and even though I trusted that Derek knew where he was going, I still felt uneasy.

Finally, after almost half an hour of walking, Tori informed us that our destination was just a few streets over. I felt my shoulders sag in relief – I was grateful that it was almost over, being both exhausted and freaked out beyond belief.

We kept walking, cutting through another pitch-black alley and then another, until I was almost one hundred percent sure we were lost.

I stopped at the mouth of the next alley – one Tori'd assured us was the last. "Guys, no offense, but are you sure we're going the right way? We've been walking for a really long time."

"Trust me," Tori whispered. "It's the right way."

"How do you know?" I whispered back. "And why are we whispering?" I added.

The sound of something hitting the pavement froze me in my tracks. "What was _that_?" I hissed, glancing around frantically, searching for the source of the noise.

"Calm down, blondie! It's just some homeless chick who lives in this alley...probably a crack addict or something." Tori pointed to a corner at the other end of the alley - crowded with trash cans - where a girl about my age was cupping a hand around her lighter, trying to keep it from going out in the wind.

I couldn't tell much about her – it was dark, and she was pretty far away – but there was something about the way she was holding that lighter and staring into the flame… shadows flickered and danced across her face, and by the dim light escaping from her cupped hand, I could tell there was something about her eyes… something almost eerie about the way her gaze was transfixed by the fire.

We watched as she squeezed her fist, extinguishing the flame. _Well that was dumb, _I though. _Now how are you gunna keep warm?_ "Cummon, guys. We need to get to the other end of the alley," Tori whispered, obviously not concerned with anything the nameless girl was doing.

For some reason, we all hesitated; even Tori, who'd been willing us to keep moving. There was something about the girl with the fire that had us all unwilling to move closer, to alert her of our presence.

Her lighter flickered on again, this time in her left hand.

I gasped, amazed by what I was seeing – there was no lighter in the girl's hand.

The flames were coming from her finger tips, the fire completely under her control.

I started backing up slowly, hoping to avoid the girl an take a different route – but apparently Simon had other ideas.

"Hey, you!" he shouted, running full out down the alley, effectively revealing our location. The girl jumped, grabbed her bag and prepared to run.

"Leave me alone!" she called. "I have a lighter, and I'm not afraid to use it!"

"No you don't!" he replied. "We saw what you just did! That fire shot out of your fingers!"

"You're crazy!" she yelled, backing up.

"Wait!" I shouted. "You're a half-demon, aren't you?"

She froze, focusing her gaze on me. "What do you know about that stuff?" she asked, her tone suspicious. I looked at Derek, waiting for him to say something. He nodded slowly, so I took that as permission to continue. "We're supernaturals too. Tori's a witch, Simon's a sorcerer, and-" I decided it was best not to reveal what Derek and I were just yet, "-we're running from the Edison Group. Ever heard of 'em?"

I watched as her eyes widened in horror. "You guys… you guys are those kids they're after, aren't you?"

I didn't move, still shocked by what she was saying. "T-They told people to watch out for us?" I asked, looking at Derek and Tori. Had they known? Judging by their expressions, they'd been just as clueless as I had been.

Tori waved us forward a few seconds later, stopping a few feet in front of the girl. "You need to tell us everything. Everything you know about what's going on."

The girl nodded, and a bright light erupted from her finger – a miniature flame that lit up her face.

She smiled widely. "How 'bout we start with names? Mine's Rae."

* * *

**OMG. It's Raeeeeee! **

**ANYWAYS. If you guys have been with me since the beginning, you know the one year anniversary of **_**The Finding **_**is in a few days (or if you completely forget and I'm just reminding you now… that's cool too). To celebrate the success of the story and the awesome fans (you guys!) who kept it going, I'm gunna be posting another outtake on the day of and more throughout the week. Lemme know what I should write about! Right now I have a few suggestions that include Derek during his Change in the warehouse, Derek after he left, Derek as he was telling Chloe about him leaving, and Derek while they were being held at the Edison Group's HQ. For people who read **_**The Finding**_**: submit ideas or pick one of the ones mentioned above and tell me in your review! For those who don't know what the hell I'm going on about: I wrote a story last summer called **_**The Finding. **_**It's a DP fanfic and it was basically what I thought was going to happen in The Reckoning; it's 32 chapters long (each chapter is about 3000 words, so it's loooong) and rated M, but check it out if you're interested or bored (or don't mind my shameless self-promoting). It was my first fanfic though, so be harsh with your reviews!**

**Also, does anyone have any idea what tumblr is (other than something I'm completely obsessed with)? If so, mention it in your review! **

**So umm… REVIEW! I'm gunna need A LOT to keep me writing this week ;)**


	18. Darkness

Hey guys! I JUST posted the last chapter, but I was inspired, so you guys get this chapter a lot earlier than expected… which is a good thing, right?

Hugs go out to everyone who reviewed last chapter! You guys are the reason I'm posting this so earlier – reviews make me all happy and I get this burst of energy and it's just like, "I WILL NOW GO WRITE SOMETHING EPIC FOR THESE AMAZING FANS!" and then you get early updates! (If that made any sense, you should be worried about the state of your mental health. Please consider getting yourself checked out.)

Anyways, this is gunna sound really dumb, but here goes: I wanna write a song fic, but I kinda… need a song? (insert facepalm here). It'll probably be from this story (Derek POV, anyone?) so it'll need to be a little less… happy? Nothing screamo or anything, but nothing pop, either. Also, preferably something from the last 5 or 10 years…

Prize: the person who submits the song I use gets to read the song fic earlier than everyone else and also gets a preview to the next chapter of this story. Sound good?

That's all for now! If I think of anything else, it'll be in the closing A/N.

Enjoy!

* * *

**Note: You'll understand this a lot better if you watch CSI: Miami as obsessively as we do. **

**Disclaimer: Things get awkward after Christina reads Steph's last few updates…**

Christina: *Pats bed*  
Steph, come here. We need to talk, son.

Steph: *Confused*  
Okaaaay…? What's this about?

Christina: *Pulls off Horatio glasses*  
Well, I can't help but notice that you've been including some… _mature themes_ into your stories lately, and it makes me wonder if you're being… _safe. _

Steph: *Eye twitches, but she's calm*  
Are you seriously asking me if my characters are being _SAFE_? Dude, this story is rated T, for Godssakes!

Christina: *Jumps up*  
OMG, EWW! I didn't mean it like that! I meant that you should make sure you include disclaimers into every chapter! You don't own DP, ya know!

Steph: *Slightly embarrassed*  
Oh… okay then.  
*Gets up to leave the room because it has suddenly become way too awkward for her liking*

Christina: *Puts Horatio glasses back on dramatically and looks into the camera lens*  
Kids, (unnecessarily long pause) these days…  
*Steps out of frame really dramatically*

* * *

Darkness

_But what is all this fear of opposition to Oblivion? What is the matter with the soft Darkness, the Dreamless Sleep?_

-James Thurber

* * *

Rae agreed to follow us back to the house Tori and Derek had chosen.

I'd studied her on our way to house – wondered why I felt so uneasy in her presence – but I couldn't figure out what it was. She had long brown hair, copper skin, and eyes that begged: 'trust me!'.

I didn't – at least not yet.

_You're probably just being paranoid. Relax already! Not everyone's out to get you, you know._

Once we arrived at the house, we'd found the living room and set up our stuff. Rae had managed to get a fire going in the fireplace while we worked, and by the time we laid out our blanket, the room was – _supposedly _– warm and cozy.

I tried to ignore the biting cold as Rae filled us in on what had been going on the past few days.

"The Edison Group put out the equivalent of an amber alert on you guys – every supernatural in the state is on the lookout for a group of 'four children traveling together, ages ranging from 15 to approximately 18'," she relayed, sounding like she'd both said and heard it a million times already.

"Did they… say whether they wanted us dead or alive?" Simon ventured.

"Alive," Rae said confidently. Then she bit her lip and frowned. "Well, except for-"

"Me." Derek didn't seem the least bit surprised to learn that the Edison Group thought he was expendable.

"It's either way for you, buddy. Sorry about that." Rae sounded genuinely sorry – like she felt responsible somehow.

_Weird._

We were all silent for a few moments – lost in our own thoughts – but I didn't expect it to last; If I'd learned anything, it was that moments of silence expired quickly when Tori was around.

"So what's your story?" she asked suddenly.

Rae looked towards Tori, but I could tell she was a hundred miles away. "My story?"

Tori rolled her eyes. "You're living on the streets. Obviously _something_ had to happen to put you there."

"Tori!" Simon's horrified exclamation echoed eerily throughout the room.

"No, she's right," Rae said, smiling kindly at Simon before returning her focus to Tori. "Let's just say the Edison Group doesn't take 'no' for an answer, okay?"

"They tried to recruit you?" Tori asked knowingly.

Rae nodded sadly. "They told me I had two options: join up willingly or lose everything. I thought they were bluffing…" She wiped away a single tear that'd found its way down her cheek. "I came home one day and the place was trashed. There were scorch marks everywhere – like they were taunting me or something – and Mum… Mum was nowhere to be found."

I glanced at Derek, Simon, and Tori – each wore the same solemn expression: a mark of the hardships they'd been through so far, reflected on each of their faces. I knew what they were thinking - each of us had been denied a normal childhood, separated from the people who loved us… all because of the Edison Group.

I looked away, feeling like I was interrupting a very private moment – their grief was fresh, while mine had become tolerable over the passing years.

Once everyone had recovered, we told Rae about everything that'd happened to us after being taken into Edison Group custody. She listened carefully as Simon imparted the events of our escape and nodded every few seconds while Tori described the night we'd spent in the woods. She listened politely and seemed attentive, but something about the way she took it all in stride – she had hardly seemed surprised when we told her about the Edison Group's plan for us – put me on edge.

_Or maybe it's the cold making you paranoid…?_

It was true – it seemed like the room was getting colder every passing moment, even though the fire was still blazing in the grate.

I sat there though the entire retelling of our adventure so far, trying to fight both the feeling of uneasiness that seemed determined to overpower my brain and the inevitable illness that was fighting for dominance over my (sadly) inferior immune system. I could feel myself drifting off – retreating to a place that was warmer…

"Chloe?" I lurched out of the haze, realizing I'd falled asleep while sitting up.

I regretted it almost immediately. I was struck by a bout of nausea and dizziness so bad I had to squeeze my eyes together tightly just to bear it.

When I opened my eyes again, Derek was kneeling next to me looking worried, Simon hovering behind him.

"I'm fine, really. Just fell asleep and-" He brushed my forehead with the back of his hand, and I shivered again… though that time, it wasn't because of the cold. I closed my eyes, concentrating on the feel of his hand on my skin and the sound of his breathing.

He swore under his breath, then turned to Simon. "She has a fever," he said gravely, brushing my bangs back from my face.

"N-no! That d-doesn't make sense!" I croacked, pulling the sweater tighter around myself. "I'm f-freezing," I admitted. "Wouldn't I be warmer if I had a f-fever?"

Across the room, Tori shook her head. "He's right, Chloe. Your eyes look glassy and everything…" She turned to Derek. "How many layers is she wearing, anyway?"

"Two sweaters, a longsleeve shirt, and a tee," I said, a little offended. Was it really necessary to talk about me like I wasn't in the room?

This time Tori swore, much louder than Derek had. "She's still cold even with all that on?" She looked from Simon, to Derek, to Rae. "Any of you guys have any first-aid experience?" When no one answered, she spun to face Rae. "I have a spell that raises body temp, but it probably isn't a good idea if she has a fever… Any chance you can get a bigger fire going? Maybe then-"

"We can't do that," Derek interjected. "Any bigger and the smoke will attract the attention of the neighbours. We can't risk it."

"Would you rather her fever rage out of control and she start hallucinating?" Tori snapped.

"Would you rather we had to force her to run in this state?" Derek shot back. They continued arguing, but by then I'd stopped listening. I could feel my eyes drooping again, and I felt so much better when I closed my eyes – warm and safe and—

"Chloe? You have to keep your eyes open, doll. It's not a good idea to fall asleep right now…" I forced my eyes open at the voice, having practically forgotten Rae was in the room. I smiled weakly at her and she returned it, patting my arm comfortingly. She stood up and went to go join Tori and Derek on the other side of the room. "If you _idiots _are done flipping out on one another, I have an idea you should probably hear," she said, looking from Derek to Tori with a look of disgust on her face. "Honestly, people! If you really cared about Chloe, you wouldn't be wasting time arguing now, would you?"

I saw Tori's glare from across the room. "Excuse me? Who are _you _to tell us we don't care? You just met her yourself!"

Rae opened her mouth to argue, but Derek held up a hand to silence them both. "She's right," he said quietly, his eyes meeting Tori's. When he was sure Tori was calm, he turned to Rae.

"What's your idea?"

* * *

"You have _got _to be kidding."

Tori's voice rang out through the silence. "_That's _your brilliant idea? Use wolf-boy as a giant snuggie?"

I struggled to decipher what she meant. _I don't get it. What does she want to do…?_

Tori laughed nervously. "That's got to be the stupidest thing I've ever heard!"

"Well, I don't see _you _coming with any brilliant ideas!" Rae snapped, glancing over at me for a second. "She's cold, okay? And judging by _your_ lack of extra clothes-" she pointed to Derek, who was only wearing a t-shirt and jeans, "-you're _warm_." She paused, then, "ever heard of sharin' the love?"

I could practically hear the smile in her voice, and when I heard Simon attempting to stifle a laugh, it finally clicked.

_No way! Absolutely not. I've already met my quota of clichés for the day, thank you very much._

"Rae, no offense, but Tori's right. I'll be fine in a couple of hours, just lemme-"

"Don't play that, Chloe. You're cold, and since Tori's spell won't do anything but kill you, we really don't have any other options."

"Why don't _you _do it?" Tori asked Rae, in sync with my thoughts. _She knows how awkward this'll be for me…_

"Because I'd probably burn her! Do you guys like your Chloe crispy? 'Cause I have no extra body heat unless I flare up…"

I don't know what made me do it, but I suddenly pictures Rae bursting into flames and giving me a bear hug while I screamed bloody murder.

I shook my head to stop the thought from progressing. _Woah. That's a little morbid, even for me._

Simon cleared his throat. "Guys, I don't mean to interrupt your little brainstorming session, but she just went _really_ pale…"

I closed my eyes as the room spun around me. "N-no, I'm… I'm okay, really."

"Enough arguing," Derek said, his voice revealing how worried he was. "You guys go to that drugstore we saw nearby; grab some _Motrin_ and whatever else we need to make her feel better, okay? I'll stay here."

Tori mumbled something along the lines of, 'should've suggested that before' using a variety of… _colourful_ adverbs.

I heard their retreating footsteps and tried to open my eyes, needing to tell them to stop – it wasn't worth it; it was too dangerous – but by the time I got them open, they were already gone.

"You guys are… overreacting," I whispered, closing my eyes and resting my head against the wall.

"No, we're not. You look like death, Chloe – no pun intended."

Rolling my eyes would've taken too much effort, so I just pulled my sweater tighter and whispered, "jerk".

He chuckled nervously and crossed the room. I could feel it when he got close, and I could hear the sound of his breathing. _In… out, in…out. It's like a lullaby if you listen closely._

He brushed my forehead with the back of his hand again, checking to see if my fever had gone down. "Holy shit," he whispered, removing his hand; I took that as a sign that it hadn't.

"Stop stressing out over nothing – I'll be f-fine in a c-couple of hours, Derek."

"Are you still cold?" he asked, ignoring me.

"A li-little. It's no big d-" I stopped, feeling his arm on my shoulder. He was barely resting it on me – keeping the majority of the weight off it – but the affect was immediate.

"Better?" he guessed, his tone smug.

"You don't have to do this, you know. I'll be-"

"I want to," he said, cutting me off mid-sentence.

We were quiet then, but it wasn't an uncomfortable silence like the one I'd experienced with Simon the day before. It was more of an… understanding of sorts – a mutual acceptance of the fact that we were bound together by something that went far deeper than a few years spent together in a backyard someplace; no fight – no matter how serious – was going to sever that bond.

I snuggled into his side, trying to find a comfortable place to rest my head. Once I was satisfied, I laid back and let the rest of my body relax, allowing all my clenched-up muscles to go slack.

I felt a hundred times better now that I wasn't shivering uncontrollably, ya know?

I could feel my heart rate slowing down – my breathing and my pulse decelerating – and after a few minutes, I knew I was hovering on the edge on sleep.

Then – so quickly I wasn't really sure it even happened – he leaned down and placed a feather-light kiss on the top of my head.

"You scare the crap outta me, Chloe Saunders," he mumbled.

I fell asleep with a smile on my face.

* * *

What felt like an eternity later, I heard Rae's voice flit through my dream.

"Chloe? You need to wake up and take your meds, darlin'."

I peeled my eyes open experimentally, rubbing them when I realized Rae was holding out a few pills, waiting for me to take them from her. I held out my hand and accepted them, holding out my other hand for the water bottle that lay next to her feet. "How's her fever?" she asked Derek, watching as I swallowed the pills and drank a sip of water.

"It went down a bit once she warmed up, and I think she'll be fine after those pills kick in… what took you guys so long, anyway?"

"I uh… had to use the bathroom," she stammered quickly, frowning. "The jerk at the cash register wouldn't let me in until we paid for everything, and Tori and Simon were having a … _disagreement _about what kind of stuff to get, so…"

I closed my eyes again and leaned back against Derek, tuning out and wishing I could remember what kind of dream I'd been having before Rae had woken me up. _Something about mom and dad… and something about… fire, _I decided, straining to remember. _Definitely something about fire._

That realization made me uneasy – _why would I be dreaming about fire? _– until I remember what Rae could do. _Calm down – it's just that stupid scene from before playing out in your dreams. Nothing to worry about…_

The sound of voices pulled me out of yet another dream. _Must've fallen asleep. Maybe I should_-

"Where's Rae?" Tori asked.

"No idea," Simon mumbled, yawning into his hand.

I forced my eyes open and saw that Rae was indeed absent from the room. I sat up and glanced around, wondering where she could've gone – it was still dark out, and unless she wanted to sleep in an alley, there was really no reason to leave…

"She said she was going to check out the rest of the house," Derek said, shifting the position of his legs. "I can still smell her in the house," he assured us. A few seconds later, though, he frowned and turned his head towards the hallway entrance. "There's a weird noise coming from upstairs," he said. "I can't place it, but it sounds like some sort of tapping…"

Tori shrugged. "She's probably just texting a friend or something..."

Simon's eyes widened in horror. "Guys… where does a girl who's supposedly living on the streets get a cell?"

We all looked around at each other, simultaneously realizing what he meant.

"Edison Group," I whispered, as all three of them raced for the stairs.

* * *

They kicked down the door a millisecond later, the 'BOOM!' rooting me in place.

I heard Tori's shout and Rae's scream, but all I could think about was how Rae had betrayed us.

We'd taken her into our confidence, and she'd done nothing but hand us over to the Edison Group.

Someone was shouting my name, but the sound was drowned out as dozens of Edison Group guards rushed in, each carrying a gleaming firearm. I watched as the guards bounded up the stairs, each one yelling orders to their squadron. I wondered briefly how they'd managed to remain concealed – why Derek hadn't heard or smelled anything – but it was only briefly; I had more important things to worry about.

They didn't see me at first, huddled against the wall, almost completely concealed behind a mound composed of our backpacks and jackets. They approached slowly once they recognized me, putting down their guns and taking slow, careful steps.

They were trying to keep me calm, but it didn't matter – I could hear Tori's screams drifting down from the top floor.

"Get away from me," I growled at the nearest guard, glaring. I pressed my palms against the wall behind me and used them as leverage to pull myself to my feet, keeping my eyes locked on the pair of guards in the room.

The guard standing farther back actually laughed. "Would ya take a look at this, Jim? Little tyke's got some fight in 'er!"

I wanted to think of some really witty comeback – something to prove I wasn't some poor defenseless damsel in distress – but all I could come up with was _fuck you, asshole_.

I locked eyes with the nearest guard. He looked young – brown hair, judging by his eyebrows - and smooth unblemished skin gave him the appearance of someone closer to my age.

He broke our eye contact when one of the guards who'd gone upstairs crashed to the ground beneath the railing. I looked up and spotted Derek, frozen in place.

_Did he just…?_

He recovered quickly, seeing me surrounded by guards. He jumped from the top floor, landing less than a foot away from the guard who'd flown over. Within seconds he was in the room, trying to fight his way past the guards to me.

Then I heard it.

A gunshot – a crack like a whip, like lightening exploding from the sky. At first it didn't register in my mind – why would they be shooting at Simon and Tori? They were wanted alive… weren't they?

Then I looked around. He slumped to the ground, but it still hadn't clicked.

When I saw him lying face-down on the ground… it finally hit me.

_No!_

I shut my eyes, not wanting to see the moment his soul left his body.

I couldn't hear anything anymore – it was like someone had pressed mute, stopping all sound. A good thing, too, because if I'd had to hear his voice… I started to tremble, that familiar sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach returning. It was like someone had yanked the ground out from under me, and I was falling – falling endlessly.

I kept waiting for the moment when I'd hit the ground, but it never came.

And suddenly, I was ten years old again, screaming for my parents, desperate for an answer that would never come. I felt the familiar chill run down my spine, heard the whisper of '_gone, they're all gone'_, but it was like I wasn't watching it through my own eyes anymore - I was separated from it all, unable to connect what I was seeing to what was going on.

I waited for the darkness to take me – _isn't that what's supposed to happen? The darkness? It happened last time, didn't it? _– but it never came. I just stood there, watching, as they stepped over his body and came towards me, brandishing a syringe.

"Don't try fighting, girlie – you'll only hurt yourself like your friend here," the further guard warned.

I closed my eyes and shook my head slowly, unable to accept what had just happened.

The guard grabbed my arm and plunged the needle into my neck. I winced, but I was too tired to fight, and everything was blurring together…

I slumped down, all feeling gone from my legs. The younger guard – the once who'd remained silent; the one who'd looked almost apologetic as he watched his partner sedate me – caught me before I hit the guard, scooping me up like I weighed nothing.

I couldn't struggle – I'd lost all feeling in my extremities – but I watched as they carried Simon and Tori out the door in stretchers, and I knew it was all over. The guard deposited me onto a waiting stretcher, and I could've sworn I heard a whispered, '_sorry_'.

Rae stepped into the room just as I was about to lose consciousness.

I could feel her eyes on me, so with everything I had left I raised my head up off the stretcher they'd placed me on and whispered, "Why, Rae?"

She watched me sadly, her head bowed in shame. "I'm… so sorry, Chloe. They have my Mum, and they said if I helped them-"

It was then that the darkness finally found me.

I welcomed it in.

* * *

**I swear, that wasn't supposed to happen! This story has a mind of its own! One minute I'm thinking about what they're gunna do, and the next I'm writing a death scene? Totally NOT my idea, I swear!**

**Seriously though, I'm still in shock… reviews might help though.**

**So umm… review please. But PLEASE, refrain from asking if she's gunna raise him and have some zombie-werewolf reunion type deal, cuz that's just… yeah, stopping there.**


	19. Alone I

Ok, I know most of you are either a) cursing my name, or b) waiting for an update because you're in the first stage of grief (denial) and don't believe Derek is in fact dead. I applaud you for being so optimistic, really, but at this point… well, let's just say I can't put your minds at ease. For everyone doing option a (especially those who left me reviews that threatened my life if I didn't make it better): I'm really sorry, guys! If you read my last author's note, you know I didn't mean for it to happen, but it did, and we're all gunna have to deal, okay? :(

Shoutouts (and hugs, and giant "I'm reeeeally sorry!" cookies) go out to everyone who reviewed. I wanted to answer each of your reviews like I normally do, but you guys flooded my mailbox (over 50 since I posted chapter 18!) and I simply _cannot _answer all of em. Thank you all so much, though – I'm so thankful for all of you guys and your awesomeness! :)

CONTEST UPDATES: I'm still sorting through the entries and trying to narrow down the entries, but I'll keep you guys posted! I'm kinda hoping to create a soundtrack for this story once it's all done, so even if I don't use your song for the song fic, I might use it there… I'll let you know, though, and I'll make sure you get some sort of thank-you prize :)

Way too many smiles in this A/N, but that's okay. You all hate me anyway, right? :'(

* * *

**Note: I write in red ink in a notebook before typing the chapters and posting them.**

**Disclaimer: Christina finds Steph sulking after she posted **_**The Chapter**_.

Christina: Hey! What's wrong with you?

Steph: *Head in hands*  
I just killed Derek.

Christina: *Eye twitch*  
WHAT?

Steph: *Crying hysterically, reveals ink explosion on her hands that looks a lot like blood*  
I KILLED HIM, OKAY? I KILLED HIM!

Christina: *Angry*  
WHY? WHY WOULD YOU DO THAT? NOW EVERYONE'S GUNNA HATE YOU FOREVER!

STEPH: *Covers her face with a pillow as she cries*  
I KNOW, OKAY? I KNOW!

Christina: *Eyes narrow*  
And you know what the worst part is? YOU DON'T EVEN OWN DARKEST POWERS! YOU JUST KILLED OFF _SOMEONE ELSE'S _CHARACTER!

Steph: *Lifts pillow off face*  
Is that supposed to make me feel better or something? Cuz it isn't.

Christina: You don't _deserve _to feel better!  
*Slams door behind her and leaves Steph alone with her thoughts*

* * *

Alone: Part I

"_In the end, everyone ends up alone…"_

-The Fray, _You Found Me_

_

* * *

_

_Gone._

The word echoed endlessly inside my mind, inside the desolate cell they'd forced me into yet again. It rebounded off the white brick walls, hitting me over and over and over. I couldn't escape the sound – couldn't run from the scene that accompanied that word every time. I was forced to watch him die – again and again inside my mind like some endless film loop. He was there, and then… he wasn't.

_Gone. He's never coming back._

I could still smell him. His scent – a mix of the woods and something that was just _him _– clung to my sweater, reminding me of him no matter how hard I tried to forget. I refused to take it off, though, and soon his scent was gone – replaced by the harsh stench of industrial-strength sanitizers and cleaning products.

I'd woken up in the same cell they'd been holding me in before, groggy and disoriented. It had taken me a minute to realize what had happened – realize why I was back again. It didn't take long for everything to come flooding back, though, and with the memories came the inescapable grief.

It felt like I'd been sleeping for days, but I had no way of knowing for sure. I was unaware of how much time had passed – they were keeping me isolated, letting the silence drag me down into the realm of submission. I forced myself to stay awake. Sleep was an unwarranted, unnecessary, dangerous thing, and if I allowed myself to think about him too long – dream about him – the consequences would be disastrous.

Thinking about him was an unbearable form of torture. Remembering was ripping my soul apart, but forgetting… There could be nothing more painful than forgetting.

Not that I ever would.

Nobody came to visit me – to disturb the quiet. One of the guards – the one who'd seemed sorry for his actions _that night _– told me they'd bring me dinner when I was ready, and that he was stationed outside my door if I ever needed anything.

After that, no one came.

I had no idea how long I'd been alone; didn't know. Didn't care. There was only one person in the world whose company I craved.

Davidoff came to check on me once. He told me I was perfectly entitled to a period of mourning – that it was normal to experience denial, anger, sadness, and frustration, but that I shouldn't forget to take care of myself and my health. "You shouldn't forget to live," he said. "Life goes on, Chloe. You're young! There are other fish in the sea!"

I'd flipped him off and locked myself in the bathroom until I was sure he was gone. When I re-entered the room, there was a plate on my bed, piled high with all of my favourites. I didn't eat any of it – the thought never actually crossed my mind; I did, however, pick up the plate and fling it across the room. It hit the wall with an earsplitting _crack! _and shattered, shards of glass flying in every direction imaginable. A stray shard hit my face, grazing the skin directly below my left eye. I wiped at the blood – too numb to care – and bent to retrieve the shard from where it'd landed on the ground. I turned it over in my palm, examining the razor-sharp edges in fascination. It shone menacingly in my hand, beckoning me...

I contemplated how long it would take – how easy it would be. _Just pull it from one end to the other. Let it dig into the soft skin of your wrist. One quick little slice – that's all it takes! Simple, really_—

I pressed a jagged edge of the glass into the skin at the base of my left hand, and a single drop of blood trickled out, trailing down my forearm and pooling at the crease at my elbow. I stared at it – watched the progression of the blood as it travelled down my arm, fascinated by the lack of pain I'd felt. I looked at the shard in my hand and stopped, transfixed by the sight of the blood on the tip of the glass. I lifted my wrist again, wanting to see if it would hurt the second time-

"No, Chloe!" I felt the glass being ripped from my grasp as I stumbled backwards, jumping at the voice.

_Could it have been…?_

I shook my head. _No. It couldn't have been - the voice was female._

I looked around the room, searching for the source of the noise. When I didn't find one, I cleared my throat and utilized my previously idle vocal chords. "Who-who's there?" I called, not sure which direction I should be looking in. After a few seconds of silence, I added hopefully: "M-mom?"

She'd told me she would be leaving me alone – that she was done allowing me to relive the tragic events of my past by appearing whenever I called – but I still had hope that she would come if she knew I was in trouble…

"Not…pull me… through… can't…" I nodded, acknowledging that I understood. I closed my eyes and focused, picturing my mother's form clearly in my mind. I closed my eyes and imagined myself pulling her through a thin veil of white silk that separated our two worlds, her ghost appearing on the other side. I opened my eyes, expecting to see her waiting for me in my cell, looking angry or disappointed or—

"Wh-who are you?" I asked, realizing it _wasn't_ my mother I'd just pulled through. It was a girl around my age, dressed in a faded pair of jeans and a sweater. She had long blond hair that'd been carelessly pulled back into a messy ponytail, still somehow managing to look like she'd done it that way purposely. She had a sprinkling of freckles across her cheeks and the bridge of her nose, and her wide blue eyes looked angry.

"ARE YOU CRAZY?" she shouted, throwing her arms up. "DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA WHAT WOULD'VE HAPPENED IF I HADN'T PULLED THAT PIECE OF GLASS OUT OF YOUR HAND?" she demanded. When I didn't respond, she rolled her eyes. "YOU'DE BE DEAD, THAT'S WHAT! D – E – A – D, DEAD!"

I didn't acknowledge what she was saying, just crossed my arms and stared at her. "I asked you who you were, and you still haven't answered my question," I reminded her, my voice a flat, emotionless monotone.

She crossed her arms and glared at me. "_I'm _the idiot who promised _your mother _that I'd look after you," she clarified.

I was taken aback for a moment. "What's your name?" I asked, wondering what reason she could possibly have for spending her afterlife looking after a random teenager.

"Liz," she grumbled, tucking her hands into her pockets.

I remembered what my mother had said the night she left for good: _I'll send someone – a friend of mine, she's a poltergeist – to help you._

"My mother sent you to look after me?" I repeated.

"Yeah." The girl crinkled her nose and looked away. "She said you needed help, but I gotta say, I never thought she'd meant _that _kind of help…"

"She sent you to help me, and you decide to show up _now_?" I said, feeling my blood boil in my veins. Who was this self-righteous girl, anyway? Where had this girl been the day I'd been taken prisoner by the Edison Group? Where had she been while I stood in that abandoned living room watching my whole life end?

"Don't shout at me!" she snapped, putting her hands on her hips. "I've been doing the best I can! Do you have any idea how powerful the spell around you is? It's nearly impossible to break through that stupid thing without a wall shooting up!"

"What do you want?" I snapped, still angry. "A medal? A trophy? Because you can either make a request or get the hell out of my cell."

"Listen, girlie," she growled, stepping forward until she was only inches away. She poked me with her index finger, pushing me backwards and knocking me off balance. "I'm doing this as a favour to your mom, okay? So get this straight: I don't want to be here any more than you seem to want me here. I'm here because I have to be - because you need protection – so when you feel like talkin' again, let me know."

She disappeared then, not waiting for a reply.

_And what would you have said if she had? 'Well… thanks fo stoppin' my attempted suicide, but get out ma house, bitch!'?_

I sank down onto my bed and hugged my knees to my chest, remembering what I'd been doing before Liz came in. What had come over me moments ago?

_Had I really been that close to—what was I thinking? Derek would've never—_ I ran a hand through my hair and rested my forehead on the lower half of my palm. _Derek would be ashamed of me if he was here right now… _I shook my head and sat up, knowing it wasn't a good idea to think about him being with me – that would only lead to a summoning, which was the last thing I wanted.

_No. _I'd made a promise with myself in those first few moments – no summoning (or even attempting to summon) Derek. _Ever_. That was why I forced myself to stay awake even though the call of sleep was like a siren's song enticing a weary sailor; I couldn't trust my subconscious to keep that promise.

I wiped at the ever-present tears and looked around. Glass shard lay everywhere – on every surface in the room, spread out like someone had haphazardly dumped them from the sky.

I got off the bed carefully and began to pick them up one by one, trying hard not to think about how close I'd been in that one moment – how for one fleeting instant, I'd been only a handful of seconds away from joining him on the other side.

* * *

I fought my heavy eyelids, praying that my willpower alone would be enough to keep me awake.

They'd sent someone to retrieve the plate when I'd been in the bathroom. I'd returned moments later to find the room spotless, every square inch of the space gleaming and shiny. They hadn't left me any sort of instructions or messages, but I knew what they were trying to convey to me: _nothing you do makes a difference; you're not going anywhere._

My only way of judging how much time had passed was to count the meals they brought me. _Breakfast, lunch, dinner. Breakfast, lunch, dinner. _I'd been keeping track on my headboard, gouging out one little tick mark for every three meals they deposited into my room. The guard who brought in the meals – the same one who was stationed outside my door every day – always handed me the plates with remorse-filled eyes, as if he was trying to say, _'hey kid, sorry about this... I know it sucks, but how 'bout some creamed corn?' _The look in his eyes was what kept me from eating; I'd hardly touched my food, already finding that I was full of anger, sadness, and guilt.

* * *

When they'd brought Tori in to see me, all I could think was: _wow_. _She looks almost as bad as I feel.  
_  
She d been screaming at the guards as they forced her through the door, demanding they tell her what was going on – where they were taking her. She didn't notice me until after she'd given up and turned around.

"Chloe!" Her eyes went wide and she rushed over to hug me, pulling me into her embrace and squeezing me tightly against her. I returned her hug awkwardly, not used to human contact after what felt like years of solitude. She let me go after a few minutes, stepping back to examine my horrid appearance.

"Thank God," she mumbled.

"What?" I asked.

"Its just... I thought you were dead," she admitted. "When they were wheeling us out, I thought I heard one of the guards saying they'd only need 3 stretchers, and I- I-"

"Assumed it was me?" I finished.

She let out a huff of air. "Well, yes. You were feverish and alone in the basement, but I guess I heard wrong, because if you're okay, then…" she saw the look on my face and stopped. "Chloe?"

I tried to blink away the tears, but my efforts achieved the opposite effect: the tears spilled over, carving wet trails into my cheeks. "I was alone, but then Derek came downstairs to help me, and-" I choked back a sob, unable to continue.

It didn't matter. Her eyes widened as it all clicked into place, her hand covering her mouth. "N-no! You mean wolf-boy-?" She spun around and collapsed onto my bed, sitting with her legs pulled up to her chest. She ran a hand through her hair and looked up at me. "What happened, Chloe? I thought a werewolf could handle a couple of guys with guns… they weren't even using them, for God sakes! They were just trying to freeze us with binding spells and stuff, and then they sedated us..."

"You were wanted alive, Tori," I explained. "Derek-"

"Wasn't," she said bitterly. "Yeah, I remember what that bitch told us," she said, referring to Rae."I was just hoping she was wrong, you know?" She paused, staring at her legs while she thought about something.

I don't know what made me say it. "I watched it happen," I told her in my signature monotone, dropping my gaze to my feet.

She stared at me in horror. "God, Chloe... No wonder you look like shit," she observed, shaking her head sadly.

"Watching your best friend die in front of you will do that to a person."

She raked her eyes over my face – trying to decide whether to tell me something, I now know. "They killed my best friend, too," she said finally. "A few months ago, when they were trying to figure out where I'd gone… They picked her up on the way home from school, and then they tortured her, thinking she knew where I was..." Tori was far away then, eyes shrouded in layers of grief I'd never seen there on her face before.

"Was she a supernatural?" I asked, thinking that Tori would probably never risk exposing us to a regular human. _Maybe, if we ever manage to get out of here, we can go to her family for help..._

"Yeah," Tori said quietly, biting her lip. "She was a half-demon; name was Liz."

* * *

Tori stayed with me for hours, wanting to know everything. After I'd told her about Liz the poltergeist, she'd demanded I'd describe her, leaving nothing out. I told her what I'd seen: blond hair, freckles, a little taller than Tori… She was convinced - after a few hours - that we were talking about the same person.

"Can you summon her?" She asked finally, eyes almost feral looking. "I want to tell her that I'm sorry…"

I nodded, then stopped, considering. "She might not answer me right away," I said. "I was pretty bitchy when she- when we talked last time," I confessed, correcting myself at the last minute. _Tori doesn't need to worry about me while all this is going on…_

Tori laughed. "Knowing Liz, that won't matter. She's probably already forgiven you," she assured me. I nodded, hoping she was right.

Tori yawned, then stood and stretched, rubbing her eyes. "I'm gunna get those assholes to take me back," she said. "But I'll be back tomorrow, okay? Hopefully by then I'll have managed to get Davidoff to move me back here."

I didn't say anything. On the one hand, I wanted Tori around - I was sick of being so alone, feeling so empty - but on the other hand...

"Do you think Simon knows?" She asked, pulling me out of my thoughts. "They haven't let me in to see him since we got here, but I can hear him in the room next to mine…"

"No... I don't think so," I said, feeling my heart sink. I hadn't even thought of Simon - I'd been so absorbed in my own grief, forgetting that there were other people outside of these four white walls I'd come to abhor.

"I'll tell him, if you-"

"No," I said, shaking my head. "I should be the one to tell him…" I bit my lip. "It's my fault, after all," I mumbled.

Tori looked shocked. "Don't say that! This had nothing-"

"Why not?" I demanded, feeling the tears returning. "It's the truth, isn't it? If it wasn't for me-"

She crossed the room in one angry stride. "If it wasn't for you, _what_? What, Chloe? If it wasn't for you having a fever? If it wasn't for you being totally out of it? _None _of that was your fault! None of it!" She ran her hand over her face and lowered her voice. "Chloe, you can't just decide it was your fault because he was protecting you! I hardly knew Derek, but I know he would've done anything to protect you, no matter what it may have cost him."

She hugged me then, and I hugged her back… I didn't agree with what she was saying, but I knew the only way to get Tori to drop it was for me to look like I agreed with her.

"I know it hurts right now, and I know you're scared," she said knowledgably, "-but you're gunna have to sleep sometime, Chloe. You can't go on like this-" She pulled away and went to knock on the door, the echo of it reverberating off the walls. The door opened, but before she stepped out, she turned around.

"-Derek wouldn't have wanted that..."

The door slammed behind her, and I curled up on my bed, alone with my thoughts once again.

* * *

**Awe, looks like Chloe's got some survivors guilt (and some suicidal tendencies? Lemme know what you thought of that part)!**

**ANYWAYS, I know what I wanna write about for a song fic, but I still need to go through all the songs and see what fits (as I said before). I'll let you know when it's ready! **

**Also, does anyone wanna read on outtake from this story? 'Cause I really wanna write Derek and Tori's walk to the city (you'll see why). Lemme know! :)**

**Review please! I wanna get started on the next chapter soon, but I need some encouragement, ya know?**

**REVIEW! :)**


	20. Alone II

**Hello darlings! I'm gunna cut to the chase because I've been rambling in my author's notes lately, but I absolutely NEED to stop and thank everyone who's been reviewing and supporting this story. You guys are the reason I write (I know this is getting old, but bear with me please!) and the reason I've been updating so much lately (except for the past couple of weeks. I know, I don't deserve your love!) Thank you so much for always being here and for telling me random things you enjoy within the story; you may not know this, but my favourite reviews are the ones that go on and on and on about nothing in particular! :D**

**Also, if you haven't already, you should go check out the songfic I wrote! It's called In My Arms, and it's a little OC (not much) and a little AU (again, not very much) and it involves Chlerek, meetings in the middle of the night, and nightmares :) I'll leave a summary at the end of this chap! **

**Shoutouts go out to everyone who reviewed / subscribed to this story and all my others! I LOVE YOU ALL! Special shoutouts go out to everyone who reviewed **_**In My Arms**_**: xpskl, burningimpossiblybright (who also beta'd it and calmed me down when I was having one of my "******!" episodes. YOU'RE PURE AWESOMENESS, IN CASE YOU DIDN'T ALREADY KNOW :D), SongSiren1228, piercingemeralds2, SpencerReidFan89 (BTW, can you believe what's happening with CM? PM me!), Surial17, Lauren94, xxStarBrightxx, Boat Gal, and RayRayluvs2read. THANK YOU SOOOO MUCH, GUYS! Anyone who reviews that baby deserves a shoutout and some virtual hugs/cookies! :) 

**Enjoy, guys!**

**

* * *

**

**Disclaimer: Steph just returned from a midnight viewing of **_**Inception **_**and she's a little excited…**

Steph: *Bouncing up and down*  
And then he—

Christina: *Covers Steph's mouth with hand*  
DO NOT TELL ME WHAT HAPPENED, WOMAN! I WANNA SEE THS MOVIE WITH NO PRIOR KNOWLEDGE OF THE PLOT, OKAY?

Steph: *Pulls off Christina's hand*  
But—

Christina: NO 'BUTS', MISSY! You're here for a disclaimer, right? Well, you don't own DP! Now I crushed your dreams, etc…  
*Points to door*  
LEAVE!

Steph: *Confused and a little hurt*  
Oh… okay then…  
*Leaves, mumbling to self*  
What just happened?

* * *

**Alone II**

"_You know, I dream sometimes about flying. It starts out like I'm running really, really fast and I'm like superhuman and the terrain starts to get really rocky and steep and then I'm running so fast that my feet aren't even touching the ground and I'm floating and it's like this amazing, amazing feeling… I'm free, I'm safe. Then I realise: I'm completely alone. And then I wake up."_

_-Summer, 500 Days of Summer_

_

* * *

_

I laid there in my bed for a while, completely motionless save for the occasional rise and fall of my chest as I breathed in and out. _In. Out. In. Out. _It sounded forced to me; not at all like the soothing rhythm of Derek's breathing…

I shook my head and sat up, resting my head in my hands. _When will this torture end? When am I going to be able to go more than a few seconds without him taking over my thoughts? When am I going to be able to think about him without my heart breaking? _I shook my head again, hoping that the action would somehow dislodge the thoughts of him that had implanted themselves inside my mind. I didn't expect it to work, and it didn't – instead, I was hit with another memory…

_You thought you were in pain when they disappeared… what about now? Which of the two would you prefer, now that you've tasted both degrees of suffering?_

_No. _I tried to concentrate on other things – _anything _but that – but the idea had already been born, and it was now free to inflict its torture on its creator.

_Would you trade this pain for that pain? Wouldn't you rather he never existed?_

_Never._

Because no matter how much pain I was in – no matter how much it hurt – I could never go back to doubting his existence. I couldn't pretend that he never existed, because I loved him, and he loved me, and when you love someone, you can never feel totally whole – complete – unless they're with you, standing by your side. That person is a missing piece of your own self, longing for the day when they can be re-united with you – longing for the day that they can come home – the day you'll be whole again. I'd found that piece – found it, lost it, found it, then lost it again – and even though I was in excruciating pain, I couldn't, _wouldn't _allow myself to wish that I wasn't. To me, it was better to have found that missing piece of my soul and - for a little while at least – know what it felt like to be whole, than to never have found it and not know that there was ever anything missing in the first place.

_Never. _I could never go back to that; no matter how strong the grief, no matter how empty I felt… I couldn't bring myself to wish that the strange, reserved little boy with the striking emerald eyes hadn't touched my life the way he had.

* * *

I let myself doze off, giving in to the ceaseless call of the world behind my eyelids. Sleep was my escape now – while I was there, nothing could touch me. I had to be careful, though – if I lingered too long, my subconscious would begin playing tricks, showing me things I didn't want to see.

I forced myself awake less than an hour later, after I'd realized I'd been dreaming about the night Derek and I spent together in my backyard. It was one of my rare cherished memories, but I couldn't bear to relive it now, especially knowing what the consequences of that night had been and where they had led us. I tried to focus on something else; it was surprisingly easy, because while that memory reminded me of Derek, it _also _reminded me of Simon – how angry he'd been when he had found us together and how furious he had been that Derek and I had been keeping secrets from him…

Tori was right – I had to tell Simon what happened in that house. He had a right to know, and he had to be sick with worry – wondering where Derek was and why he hadn't been allowed in to see him yet…

Waiting until I could pluck up the courage to tell him would be both selfish _and_ cruel.

I clenched my fists. _It's_ _now or never. _I got off my bed and rubbed my eyes, erasing any trace of the troubled sleep I'd had. I stood and walked to the door slowly, trying to stall as long as possible while I tried to figure out what I'd say to Simon. What could I say? '_Hey, just thought I'd stop by to tell you your brother died trying to protect me! No big deal, right? See you later!'?_

Eventually, my baby steps got me to the door. I stood in front of it for a few seconds collecting my thoughts before finally forming a fist and knocking a few times.

I don't know whether it was the sleep deprivation or the after-effects of the dream, but I found myself half-expecting the person on the other side of the door to ask, "who's there?" before opening. Instead, the door swung open, and I found myself face-to-face with the same guard who'd been responsible for me since the night Derek had been killed.

I felt an explosion of anger inside me, both unexpected and instantaneous. I hated this man for what he represented – how could he apologize to me after sitting back and watching his partner kill Derek? How could he stand outside my door and play baby-sitter night and day when he _knew _he was partly responsible for the death of the person that mattered most to me?

"Is something wrong, kid?" he asked, one eyebrow raised in confusion – I guess it was understandable, seeing as how I hadn't knocked on the door since the day they'd thrown me back in.

"No, nothing's wrong," I said. "I just thought it was about time I told my best friend that his brother is dead, ya know?" I smiled sweetly – my lips pressed together in a tight line – but I knew he could see it in my eyes.

He stared at me for a few seconds, nibbling on the inside of his cheek while he considered my request. Finally, he nodded. He picked up his walkie-talkie and radioed in, telling whoever was on the receiving end that he was escorting me to Simon's cell, and that they should contact him if there were any problems. He didn't ask for back-up like they usually did with Tori – I guess no one worries much about the poor little necromancer - it's hard to be a threat when all you can do is contact spirits.

He led me down the length of the hallway, attempting to start some sort of conversation all the while. "I'm sorry about your friend," he said. "I know you don't believe me, but I really am. I told Bobby not to shoot, but my partner's not exactly reluctant to use his gun, if you know what I mean…"

"Both of you can go to hell," I spat, not daring to say anything else in case I lost it completely; I could already feel the prickle that signaled oncoming tears, triggered by the offhand comment – the mere mention of what happened that night. I couldn't cry in front of this guy – I wasn't willing to give him the satisfaction, and it wouldn't help much if I did - I knew how to play this game now, and looking weak was not going to get me anywhere that I wanted to be.

He didn't react or get angry – just shook his head and pressed his lips together tightly. We stopped in front of a door – I presumed it was Simon's, unless the guard had been lying to me all along – and he knocked twice. "WHAT?" Simon's voice demanded from the other side of the steel door.

"You have a visitor." He opened the door as he responded and held it open. _I guess he trusts Simon not to zap him… idiot._

He held the door open as I walked past, then leaned in towards me. I instinctively jumped back, not used to being so close to a guy I didn't know or trust. "Listen kid," he whispered urgently, leaning on the door instead. "We're not all monsters here, okay? Remember that and you might see the outside of this place someday soon."

With that, he slammed the door shut behind me.

* * *

"CHLOE!" Simon rushed towards me and enveloped me into a hug, squeezing me so tightly that I couldn't breathe. He spun me around the room a few times and then stopped, still hugging me so tightly that I was sure he was going to hug me until I passed out.

I wanted to tell him to put me down – it felt so wrong, being embraced by him… I'd been the reason behind his brother's death, after all, and people don't tend to forgive that as easily as you hope they will – but I wasn't going to make him stop if he was having fun. _Let him be happy while he still can._

Finally, after a few more spins, he put me down. I held on to the wall in an attempt to steady myself, but Simon wasn't going to let me have any quiet time. "Where have you been?" he demanded, orbiting around me like a satellite. "I kept asking to see you, but they never let me! They kept saying you were sick or something, but they wouldn't let me in to check!"

He stopped moving, glancing at me with a worried expression. "Chloe… you're not sick, are you?"

"No, no. I'm… well, I'm not fine, but I need to talk to you, Simon." _No sense in dragging it out longer than necessary._

"What about?" he asked. I took a deep breath to ready myself, but he held up a hand and cut me off before I could get a word out. "Actually, can I go first? Sorry for cutting you off; I'm just wondering whether you've seen Derek lately… they haven't let me in to see him either, and I'm kind of worried," he explained.

My heart sank. "Actually, Simon, that's what I needed to talk to you about…"

He leapt up off the bed and stood. "Why? Is something wrong? Is he Changing?" he asked, without pausing to take a breath.

"Simon, I-"

"Is he the one who's sick? Does he need to talk to me? Has he talked to Dad?"

"Simon-"

"Where is he, Chloe? Where's Derek? Is he here? Is he down the hall? 'Cause I heard they were moving one of the prisoners into the room at the end of the hall, and I was hoping-"

"He's dead, Simon," I whispered softly, cutting him off mid-rant.

I watched a thousand different expressions flit across his face: shock, confusion, sadness, and then… anger?

"Why would you say that, Chloe?" he asked, his voice eerily calm. I'd never heard him speak to anyone except Derek in that tone, and the fact that he was using it now scared me a little.

"I'm s-so s-sorry, Simon," I stammered, feeling the tears forming behind my eyes. "It all happened that night they found us in that old house. He was trying to get back to me, and they—"

"You're lying," he said, his tone even.

"W-what?" I asked, completely and utterly bewildered.

"You're lying," he repeated. "Derek would never—he can't be dead, alright? I know he's not, which means you're _lying_," he explained.

"Why would I _lie _about something like that? How could you even _think_ that?" I inquired, still shocked by what was going on.

"Simple: the Edison Group is blackmailing you somehow, and your job is to try and convince me that my brother is dead so I'll give up any chance of rescue or escape. They know I'd never try to escape unless he was coming with me, so they're making sure I don't ask to see him anymore to make plans," he elaborated.

"N-no, Simon. They're not blackmailing me. I'm not lying. He really is… dead. Gone."

"I don't believe you," he said simply.

"Look at me, Simon! Look into my eyes and tell me I'm lying!" I said, on the verge of shouting now. He refused to meet my gaze, which made me even more angry than before. _The second stage of grief? Anger._

"Look at me! I'm a mess, Simon! I haven't slept properly in weeks; haven't closed my eyes in days because I'm afraid that I'll raise him somehow because he's DEAD! DEAD, Simon! DEAD! I would _never _lie about something like that!"

I expected him to cry or scream or shout at me, but he didn't do anything of the sort. Instead, he crossed the room, banged on the door a few times, then fled to the bathroom, slamming the door so hard the whole room shook. I stood there for a few seconds, dumbstruck. I couldn't process what had just happened, but my mind was going a million miles a minute. Nothing was making sense anymore; nothing at all. My best friend since childhood no longer trusted me, and whether he believed it or not, his brother was dead.

I didn't know whether he believed me or not, but I did know one thing for certain: Simon wasn't speaking to me anymore, and he expected me to be gone when he returned.

I knocked on the door again, telling whoever was on the other side that I was ready to return to my room.

* * *

Sprawled on my bed with my face buried in a pillow, it was difficult keeping my eyes open. They seemed to want to close of their own accord, and after the ordeal I'd just been through, I was having trouble fighting the persistent pull of sleep. _I could just take a nap_, I assured myself. _A power nap to keep me going for a few more hours. No dreams, no exercising my out-of-control powers, just… sleep._ It was like staying awake was a beach somewhere in the middle of a heat-wave, and even though I was boiling and I _knew _how amazing the water would feel, I was holding myself back. I was fighting it because I was scared of what would happen when I entered the waters of sleep, murky at points and crystal-clear at others. The water was beckoning me, calling me forward – as if it knew my resolve was getting weaker as the minutes passed. I was fighting it and fighting it, but I was no longer strong enough to resist.

And I gave in, wadding - walking forward in the ankle-deep water until it was no longer ankle-deep and the waves were my height. I kept going, kept walking until the moment when, _finally_, the waves pulled me under and I was able to let go of everything for a little while.

My dream started off normally – I was walking around in the middle of a busy city, pushing my way through a crowd of people, and everyone was yelling, shouting at the top of their lungs. They were all asking for something, and once they asked, they received whatever they wished for. I was fascinated by this and tried to open my mouth to ask for what I wanted, but someone had glued my lips together and I was unable to speak. I tried to shout, but no one could hear me over the shouts of everyone making a wish. I tried to shove people out of my way so I could escape but they won't budge, and it suddenly occurred to me that they were all yelling at _me_ - that they thought _I _was the one granting their wishes. I tried to open my mouth to explain, but of course I couldn't – the glue was still there, holding my lips together and my words inside. I struggled to explain with signals and gestures that I was not the one responsible for the wishes coming true, but the crowd began to swamp me. I felt the weight of the people pushing me to the ground, smothering me with their combined weight. At this point, I was almost sure that I'd die – that I'd never escape the pressure of the huge mass – but just as I was about to accept my fate, the crowd thinned and a voice addressed me from above.

"Pushy, aren't they?" The demi-demon's voice echoed throughout my dream-world, out of place. I felt my lips separate as I stood and brush myself off, looking for the crowd over my shoulder. They all seemed to disappear when the demi-demon spoke, but I wasn't going to take any chances.

"Looking for the spirits, child? Don't worry about them… they have nothing better to do than bother a helpless little necromancer as she slumbers," she assured me. "They won't be coming back."

"How did you get into my dream?" I demanded. "And why were all those people shouting at me?"

"They are lowly spirits," she answered in a bored tone, avoiding my first question. "Ghosts seeking out a necromancer who will listen to their problems and do as they ask. Worry not. They usually can't contact you in a dream unless you are extremely weak or vulnerable, so you don't have to worry about them for very long."

I nodded – it made sense, after all. I _was _extremely weak, having forced myself to stay awake for more than 48 hours straight with less than a full hour of sleep.

"How did you get here?" I asked again, knowing that a demon in your dreams is never a good omen.

"Does it matter? I'm not here to do any damage… I'm just here to tell you about your options."

"Options?" I asked, raising an eyebrow in disbelief. "I'm trapped here with nothing to do but wait. How could I possibly have 'options'?"

She laughed – a high, twinkling laugh that gave me chills. "Ahh, but you're _not_ trapped! I could help you escape… all you'd have to do is release me!"

I crossed my arms and glared upwards at the dream-sky - which, now that I was paying attention, was a deep shade of purple. "In case I didn't make this _perfectly _clear the last time you asked, the answer is _no_," I said. "I don't make deals with the devil, so Stop. Visiting. Me."

Another laugh. "I'm flattered, darling, but I could hardly be called _the devil_," she said. I could practically hear the smile in her voice. "I'm offering you a 'get-out-of-jail-free' card, here, and all you have to do is release me from the bindings tying me to this damned building. That's all I want, really!"

"No deal," I mumbled. "Now let me out of here. I can't sleep for too long or-"

"Or your boyfriend will show up?" she guessed. "Because if that's your reason, you're a little too late to avoid him."

And even as she spoke, I felt him behind me. I spun and faced him – forgetting about the demon - torn between feeling guilty and feeling happy to see him again – even if it was only in a dream.

"D-Derek? Is it really you?"

"Chloe, we don't have much time, but I had to tell you: you have to get out of the Edison Group's Headquarters. You have to escape," he said urgently.

"But I can't," I whispered. "All I have is Liz, and she can't get us out by herself. I need to find someone else who can help us get out without being noticed."

"Accept the demon's offer. She can help you," he told me, smiling a wide non-Derek smile.

I stepped back, shaking, chills running down my spine. "Make it go away," I shouted at the sky. "Make the projection or whatever it is _go away_!"

"Are you sure, dear? You seem to be having so much fun with your friend; I can leave you two alone if you want…"

"H-how dare you?" I spat, my voice as even as I could get it to be. Smiley-dream Derek disappeared, along with the landscape. Instead, I found myself standing alone in the middle of a field of waist-high grass, hugging my arms to my chest. The scene changed, and I was back at the beach, standing at the edge of the sand, watching as the sea retreated in preparation for low tide.

"Consider my offer carefully," the demi-demon told me. "Mull it over. Soon enough, you'll come to realize how much you need my help. You don't want to end up like your boyfriend, do you?"

"I swear to God, I will banish you to the seventh layer of hell if you _ever_ mention him again," I threatened, clenching my teeth so tightly my cheeks hurt. _How dare she use Derek to manipulate me? How dare she intrude on my dreams? She deserves to be stuck in this fucking place for the rest of fucking ETERNITY!_

Her laugh was the last thing I heard when I bolted awake, the sound of it still ringing in my ears.

I let my head rest in my hands, taking deep breaths every few seconds. _In. Out. In. Out._

It took me a while to calm down, but once I did, I realized just how right the demi-demon had been: I had to get out of here one way or another. It was time to stop playing good little prisoner and time to start taking control of the situation. I'd had my time to mourn, to grieve – I'd been a vegetable for weeks, hadn't I? It was time to stop feeling sorry for myself for a few moments and take a gander at the bigger picture: if I didn't manage to get Simon, Tori, and myself out of here, the Edison Group was going to use us as weapons of mass destruction. More importantly, if I didn't get out, there would be nothing to distract me from the grief that had happily inhabited my soul since I'd watched Derek die. There would be nothing to distract me from the soul-crushing reality that was _my _reality now: he was never coming back, no matter how badly I wanted him to.

It was time I accepted that reality.

So I did the only thing I could do at that point.

"Liz? Are you there? I need your help."

* * *

**A/N: OMG, I cannot believe I just wrote that in less than 2 hours! (On the other hand, I also cannot believe that it is 4am, I am awake, and my sister will be waking me up to go work out at 8am…)**

**ANYWHO, here's the summary of In My Arms (it's a one-shot for now, but there is a possibility I might expand it if I get enough positive feedback):**

**Chloe Saunders is a girl shrouded in mystery. Derek Souza is the boy who wishes he could figure her out.**

**Chloe is a quiet girl with a mysterious past who arrives at the safehouse where Derek lives. He can hear her crying every night through the paper-thin wall that seperates their room, but she never tells him what her nightmares are about or why he is NEVER to wake her up. Can he figure out why she cries in her sleep every night, or will her past remain a secret forever?**

**So… yeah. Go check it out and maybe leave a review? That would make me love you forever, basically.**

**Anyways, please let me know what you guys thought of this chapter! How was the dream sequence? What did you think of Simon's reaction? Lemme know! **

**REVIEW! :)**


	21. Traitor

Hello lovelies! I hope you're having a good week (summer is ending soon, after all!). You get this update later than usual (I know I promised it'd be up last night, but I kinda fell asleep on the laptop after a few sentences, so… it was a fail. You get it today, though, so its not that bad, right? ;)

A HUGE thank you goes out to everyone who reviewed the last chapter and anyone who reviewed _In My Arms_: **julizax13**, **derekandchloex3**, **DreamDark**, **xpskl**, **vampiremom1221**, **burning **(of course! There should probably just be a permanent shoutout to you on the sidebar or something! Thank you for being an awesome pre-reader and always letting me know what you think!:P), **cowgirl137** (who says he's yours? ;P), **K. Higurashi**, JessiKalsPwopa **(so glad you're back!)****,** **not-so-innocent011**, **xxStarBrightxx **(unfortunately, I am immune to your ploys :P), **MyWeirdWorld**, **suzi1811**, **Kelsey-Short**, **RayRayluvs2read**, **Lilly87, Boat Gal**, **Lauren94**, **Surial17**, **SpencerReidFan89**, **piercingemeralds2**, **SongSiren1228**,and OF COURSE **c.a.a**. (who, for some strange reason, actually READ the last chapter when she has 9879598689 books on her 'Read-before-summer-ends' reading list…)! Thank you guys so much for your support! You guys are always so insightful and encouraging, and I don't know what I'd do without you! *Wipes tears and keeps typing because DAMMIT she WILL update tonight!). Sorry about not replying to all your reviews, but I had to make that sacrifice in order to update today (there were 50-something reviews to answer, and I figured that would take as long as writing the chapter, so… I'm sorry, guys! Forgive me?)

Anyways, if you haven't already, you guys should check out _In My Arms_ (please ignore that shameless plug). Also, if anyone has book or movie recommendations for me, I'd be really grateful if you left 'em in your reviews! Book preferences: contemporary fiction, suspense, or paranormal (NO VAMPIRES OR FAERIES OR WEREWOLVES, PLEASE!) fiction, and it doesn't matter if it's adult or YA. For movies: psychological thrillers. ;)

That's all for this now! Enjoy!

* * *

**Disclaimer: Christina has now officially finished reading the awesomeness that is the entire Harry Potter series. (Congrats!)**

Christina: *Closes book after reading the last page*  
THAT WAS JUST… IT WAS SO… PERFECT!  
*Sobs uncontrollably*  
I'M GUNNA MISS THEM SO MUCH!

Steph: *Pats her shoulder comfortingly*  
There, there! You can always re-read the books when you start to miss them!

Christina: You're right. They'll always be right there on my bookshelf… well, except for the last one. I don't own that one yet!  
*Turns to Steph*  
Can I have your copy? A brand new one would cost $36 at Chapters, you know!

Steph: *Raises eyebrow*  
Who do you think I is? My HP books are never going to leave the comfort of my room, missy!

Christina: *Is upset*  
Oh yeah? Well, you know what? YOU DON'T OWN DP!

Steph: *Shrugs*  
And you know what? That's okay with me, because I have amazing fans and I can write as much fanfic as I want! And you know what I _do _own? A copy of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows! So there!  
*Sticks out her tongue, then turns around so Christina doesn't see her eye twitch because it is sooooo NOT okay with her*

* * *

**Traitors**

_Our doubts are traitors and make us lose the good we oft might win by fearing to attempt._

_-William Shakespeare_

_

* * *

_

Liz materialized in my cell after a few seconds, arms crossed and eyes expectant. I started off by apologizing, telling her that I was sorry for yelling at her and being so ungrateful when she'd stopped me from—I didn't even want to think about it.

She smiled and told me that it was okay, and – like Tori had predicted – she had already forgiven me for my 'brief lapse of sanity'. "You were really upset. I get that," she said comfortingly, uncrossing her arms. "Just promise me you'll never do it ever again, all right? Or all of this would have been for nothing!" I promised, pinky-swore (I wasn't sure if that one counted, seeing as she was a ghost with no physical 'pinkie' to speak of), and crossed my heart multiple times. When she was satisfied, she sat back and listened as I explained the basis of my plan and went into further detail.

After almost a whole half-hour of relaying my ideas to her, Liz sank back onto my bed and rubbed her eyes. "Chloe, I don't know how to tell you this... Your plan is, well… it's crazy!" she blurted, throwing her hands up dramatically. "We are _never _going to be able to pull this off! It would take a miracle to-"

"You're… not going to help us?" I asked, amazed that she would turn me down without even thinking it over.

She rolled her eyes. "Of course I'm going to help you! What do I have to lose, right? I was just checking to make sure you knew how crazy your plan is." She smiled at me, easing some of my worries. _If she can smile about it, then it can't be as much of a long-shot as I think it is, right?_

_Right?_

She hopped up off the bed and started pacing back and forth in front of me. "We're going to need to be seriously organized if we're gunna pull this off," she told me. She stopped abruptly and turned to me, and I swore I saw the gears in her brain beginning to turn. "Have you told Tori anything about this yet? Have you discussed it with her?" I shook my head. She nodded, then resumed her pacing. "You're going to have to find a way to get enough time with her to explain the plan… then you'll need to do the same with Simon."

My heart sank the minute I heard his name. I'd forgotten all about what had transpired between Simon and I earlier – hadn't accounted for it when I was formulating our escape plan (in which he played a crucial role). It was a problem. A big problem, because we had no room for _any _errors. Simon had to fully and completely trust me if we were going to pull this off, and based on what he'd said to me earlier, he definitely _didn't _trust me. I was sure that If I broke into his room in the middle of the night, the last thing he'd want to do would be follow me out the door. He would probably assume the worst – that I'd traded him to the Cabal that was holding his father in exchange for my freedom from the Edison Group.

We had a huge problem, and I had less than 12 hours to solve it, because the only way we were going to escape was to put our plan into action immediately.

"Helloooo? Earth to Chloe! Did you hear _anything_ I said before you zoned out?" She snapped her fingers less than 2 inches in front of my face, effectively bringing me spiraling back to reality.

"Sorry, what?"

"I said, did you catch any of that?"

"Any of _what_, exactly?"

She sighed and clicked her tongue disappointedly before responding. "I asked what you were planning to do about food, clothing, weapons, etc… and where do you plan on going in the off chance you actually make it out of here?"

"I hadn't really thought about it," I admitted. I wasn't very worried - we could always find food, and clothing wouldn't become a priority for a few days at the least. As for weapons… well, Tori had her repertoire of spells, charms, and casts, and Simon had his; I wasn't very worried about myself either, even though my powers would be useless in a fight – I could always find a knife or some sharp object to brandish in case of an emergency or attack, and if worst came to worse… well, Tori and Simon would just have to continue on without me.

Part of me was appalled with itself for thinking that way, but there was also that other part that was oddly calm about the whole thing. It was better, in my opinion, to go into a battle not only knowing but _accepting _that there was and always would be that risk involved – that I would never know whether I was going to make it to see the sunrise the next day. And that was why, after weeks of thinking it over (for lack of better things to do), I had become almost… _comfortable_ with the idea.

_It's not all bad! Just think: you'll be with your parents and Liz and De—_

_Stop right there._

I found my voice after a few seconds and replied to her question. "Actually, Liz… I think we'll be okay when it comes to that stuff. What I really need to focus on now is finding a way to tell Tori and getting Simon to trust me again."

Her forehead crinkled in confusion, and she cocked her head to the side in a silent question: _Why doesn't he trust you?_

"He thinks I'm a lying, black-mailing traitor," I explained. "Oh, and a bitch, too," I added, just for good measure. "He thinks I've gone over to 'the Dark Side'."

"That's pretty stupid of him! Does he really think you'd sell him out like that? I mean, you guys have been close friends for years, haven't you?"

I looked down at the plain white comforter, running my hand over it gently. "I got his brother killed, Liz… he's allowed to be mad at me – even if it _is _for the wrong reason."

She stared at me, open-mouthed. "Chloe, that's not true! You didn't-"

I cut her off, not wanting her to try and comfort me. She could tell me it wasn't my fault, but it would never change the fact that it _was _my fault. "I need to talk to Tori," I mumbled, getting up to stop her from continuing.

She shook her head sadly, her eyes filled with concern. "Ok… well, since you haven't picked a location, I'm gunna go set some stuff up for you guys in that forest you hid in last time, all right? I'm gunna get food and clothes and whatever else I can find…"

"Thank you, Liz – for everything." I hoped I sounded sincere to her, because I really was grateful for everything she'd done for me; even if I hadn't said it before.

I crossed the room and knocked on the door for the second time that day.

Just before the door opened, Liz's disembodied voice sounded from where she'd been standing behind me. "I might not answer right away next time you call," she whispered, and I could _almost _feel her breath tickling my ear. "I need to… check something out."

I nodded, too afraid to answer her verbally in case the guard figured out what was going on and had her exorcised from my room (if that was even possible).

The guard opened the door and asked what I wanted. I told him that I wanted to talk to Tori, and he repeated the routine from last time: he called in to the main office and left information with whoever was on the other end of the line, then stepped back to let me out once permissions were granted. We started walking, and the guard – for whatever reason – tried to start _another_ conversation… _When is this guy gunna learn?_

"Based on the yelling I heard coming from Simon's room, I'm gunna take a shot in the dark and say telling him didn't go so well?" he asked. I ignored him and crossed my arms, turning to face the wall as I walked in order to avoid his gaze. I felt like a child throwing a tantrum, but since I was being treated like one, it didn't really matter, did it? "You should've let me explain first, kid. We tried telling him about his brother before, but he refused to believe it… when you came in singin' the same song, the kid probably jumped to conclusions and thought—"

"That I was one of you…" I finished, relieved to finally understand the reason behind Simon's distrust of me earlier. It hurt, though – how could Simon believe I was one of the Edison Group's sellouts?

We arrived in front of Tori's room then. The guard bent over the keypad, and I watched over his shoulder as he punched in the code – another vital part of the plan – before holding the door open for me and ushering me inside. I expected another cryptic riddle or mysterious message, but all he said before closing the door was a gruff, "knock when you're ready to go."

* * *

Tori and I talked for a bit before I began to explain my ideas. When I was through, she only shook her head. "This is gunna take a miracle…" I opened my mouth to say something, but she cut me off. "I'm in." She winked, then smiled mischievously.

"That's exactly what Liz said," I told her.

She smiled wider than ever before.

* * *

After I was sure I'd explained every single facet of my plan to Tori and made sure she could repeat it back to me word-for-word, I knocked on the door and told the guard I was ready to go.

We walked silently for a while, then – for the first time ever – I cleared my throat and spoke first. "Can we stop at Simon's room on the way?" I asked innocently, doing my best to keep my tone light. "I wanna apologize for scaring him earlier…" I crossed my fingers behind my back, praying he'd fall for it and take me to see Simon. _Please, please, please. _If he didn't, and I wasn't able to tell Simon about our escape plan _before _the escape, we were royally screwed. We had no way of knowing how he would react, and we would need his help and co-operation if we were gunna bust our way out of this Godforsaken place. Tori's spells were amazingly powerful but also unreliable, so we couldn't stake it all on her – it would be safer for all of us if she had back-up.

The guard shook his head. "I'm afraid I can't take you to see him right now," he said in an oddly robotic voice, leading me past Simon's door instead of stopping and letting me in like I'd hoped he would.

"Why not?" I whined, playing up the innocent-little-girl persona. "You guys already have us locked up here. Why can't I go see my friend?"

The guard glanced around anxiously. "I don't know if I should be telling you this, kid, but… Simon's health hasn't been the greatest lately," he whispered. "After you saw him last time, he got so worked up that his blood sugar spiked dangerously. On top of all that, he forgot to take his needle. If Davidoff hadn't gone to check on him when he did… well, a few more minutes and your buddy would've slipped into a diabetic coma."

My eyes widened in shock and horror. "Is h-he all right?" I demanded anxiously, almost slipping back into my signature stutter. I had never really thought about Simon's condition as something that could hurt him – he was just a normal kid to me, with a little extra responsibility. I knew he was diabetic, but unless something reminded me of that fact, it usually remained at the back of my mind – to me, it was nothing to worry about, because Simon obviously had it under control.

I knew enough about his condition to know that he usually took really good care of his diabetes, and neglecting it like that… it didn't sound like him at all. Why had he suddenly become so lax with his health?

A disturbing thought crept up on me, sending chills down my spine: _Could it have been… because of_ _me_?

Could I have caused all of that? Had he been so angry with me that he flipped out and forgot, or was it something else…?

Another frightening thought struck me: what if Simon _had _believed what I'd said? What if, underneath all his anger and refusal to accept what I was saying as the truth, he'd believed me?

_Anger and denial: stages one and two of grief._

The temperature of the hallway suddenly plummeted 20 degrees, and I had an uneasy feeling in my stomach as I considered the possibility of what I was thinking about. _Did Simon neglect his diabetes purposely? _I shook my head, answering my own question. _No. He wouldn't! He knows the risks of doing that! He knows he could be seriously hurt or worse if he doesn't—_

I swore my heart stopped beating for a second.

Simon – _my _Simon, the guy who always had a smile on his face and lit up a room with his crooked grin; the guy who always found something to be happy about – had tried to seriously harm himself.

_Or worse…_

I couldn't even allow myself to finish the thought. I grabbed the guard's arm while making my realization, and my nails were biting deeper into his flesh by the second. "Take me b-back! Take me to s-see h-him," I begged, both my hands and my voice shaking simultaneously. "Please! I n-need to s-see h-him!"

For a second we just stood there like that in the middle of the hallway, staring at each other. The guard had stopped walking - hearing the change in my voice – and glanced at my face, his jaw set. He continued to study my face for a few seconds, and I guess whatever he saw there _– gut-wrenching terror, maybe?_ – seemed to tell him I'd figured it all out. He looked around, then led me back to my door. I almost cried right then and there – _why isn't he taking me to see Simon?_ – as I watched him punch in the combination. The door swung open and he stepped aside to allow me entrance. I brushed past him to get in, but he grabbed my arm just as I crossed the threshold.

He lowered his mouth to my ear. "He's all right," he whispered urgently. "They have him hooked up to a machine that constantly monitors his vitals, so he can't try anything like that again. I can't take you to see him because he's under constant surveillance, but I can check on him for you, see how he's doing…"

"Thank you, so much. You have no idea how worried-"

"I know, kid; I know, trust me. This place… it isn't good for any of you. Innocent kids being treated like criminals… it's not right."

I just stood there, feeling a sudden surge of anger. _If he doesn't agree with what's going on here, than why doesn't he do something about it? He could've broken us out himself for God's sakes! _I tried to calm myself down by breathing in and out slowly. It worked, but only slightly.

"Thank you for your concern," I said, clenching my teeth. I didn't want to be polite, but Simon was worth more than the satisfaction of yelling at this guard; besides, if I wanted him to check on Simon for me, I had to suck it up and make sure I stayed on his good side.

He blinked a few times. "I'm sorry, kid. I really am."

"Yeah, well sorry doesn't mean much, does it?" I spat, too angry to hold back.

He shook his head and left without another word.

I felt like throwing something.

* * *

I forced myself to sleep in order to prepare for the long night ahead.

It felt like only seconds later I found myself standing on that same beach once again, watching the waves grow and tilt inwards on themselves before they finally fell back into the water from which they'd sprung. I just stood there for a while, watching the waves, debating with myself: this plan was a long-shot at best… could I afford _not _to use all the resources available to me? Could I be that foolish, especially now that I knew Simon was under constant surveillance? Even if we somehow managed to sneak into his room without being caught, there was still the machine that monitored his vitals; if he was disconnected from it, it would probably sound some sort of alarm, alerting them of our escape…

The beach was oddly silent – there were no seagulls calling to each other, no noisy beach-goers – the only thing keeping me from thinking I'd gone deaf was the sound of the waves sloshing over the beach, calling to me, whispering: _Come in. Come in and let go. You know you want to…_

And I did – I'd made my choice, and I knew what I had to do to get us out of the Edison Group's grasp, even if it was against every moral I had in my entire body.

I waded in just like I had the last time, except before, I'd been afraid - not knowing what lay beyond. This time, I was ready - I knew what was coming. By the time I was waist-deep in the still water, I was beginning to feel a bit panicked; what if the demon created another Derek imitation? I really hoped she'd learned her lesson the last time we'd met in my dreams, because I was in no way ready to see her little Derek-projection - or whatever it was - again. I absolutely refused to believe it was his spirit, and everything in me was telling me it wasn't – but what if she _hadn't_ learned her lesson? And more importantly, what if wasn't _just_ a projection?

_Doesn't matter. Whatever it is, ignore it. Your job is to get Simon and Tori out of here, not curl up in a ball and cry every time you see something that reminds you of Derek!_

I slipped under the waves and closed my eyes.

Suddenly, I was back in the city-square - except this time there were no spirits hounding me. I was thankful for that, but still a little uneasy – I could feel their combined presence, but it was weak, as if they were being held back and hidden behind a wall. I could feel the throb of energy - could feel their desperation – but it was making me feel edgy, so I tried to ignore it and kept going.

I stopped walking when I reached the spot where I'd stood last time. One I was there, I called out for the demon.

A twinkling laugh and a warm breeze at the back of my neck confirmed that the demon had heard my calls. "You know, you didn't have to walk all this way before summoning me," she whispered. "I'm at your beck and call, child; I would have answered had you called me while you were awake."

I'd already known that, but I'd decided I'd rather summon her in my dreams – that way, if she brought Derek to me, there was a chance he wasn't real. If she showed up with Derek's ghost in tow while I was awake, I probably would've lost it completely…

"Have you decided to accept my offer, child? Judging by your fool-hardly little plan, I'm willing to bet I'm your only _fool-proof _way out of here… tell me, are my assumptions correct? Do you require my services?"

"Yes," I said simply. "But I want to go over the conditions of our agreement first, if you don't mind."

"Of course," she said. "I would accept nothing less from an American."

I rolled my eyes. "Firstly, you are to ENSURE that Simon, Tori, and I make it out of our cells. Secondly, you are not to attack us. And thirdly, you are to follow every single order I give; no exceptions."

Another laugh, and the disturbing purple sky faded to a beautiful (and normal) sky-blue. "Is that _all_? I was expecting eternal slavery at the _least_, dear girl. You are very reasonable, to be sure."

I nodded. "And lastly, you can NEVER show me De—what you did last time. Don't do it again, all right? I'm not kidding around here."

"Why of course! I would never do something that would purposely anger my master!" She sounded offended, but honestly? She was a demon – she probably wouldn't think twice about killing me under normal circumstances, and I wasn't exactly jumping at the chance to let her.

"Do you promise?" I felt like an idiot, but I had to make sure, didn't I?

"A demon's word is their most binding contract. You need not worry about me turning traitor," she assured me.

"All right," I said, getting the feeling that something bad was going to happen and, whatever it was, I would be powerless to stop it. "Wake me up."

* * *

I was expecting to see some sort of physical manifestation of the demon – a shimmering light, at least – but the minute I opened my eyes, there appeared to be nothing else in the room except an absurd amount of heat. _Who turned off the A/C?_

A little laugh, like she was amused by my discomfort. "The heat is merely a show of power. I guess you could say I'm _warming up_." Another laugh, and I was officially getting annoyed.

"Relax, child!" she whispered. "We'll be on our way once you summon me forth from this prison I've been residing in for so long. Now, quickly! Release me!"

"You talk an awful lot for someone who's supposed to be doing as _I _say," I shot back under my breath. When she didn't answer, I closed my eyes and imagined pulling the demon out of a desolate jail cell, ushering it out and into the world in order to do my bidding. I'd never returned a spirit to its body purposely, and I had no idea to go about summoning a demon, so I just imagined _pulling _the demon through a door, pulling it to the other side of the veil that separated our two worlds. I had no idea if I was doing it correctly, but I kept going; I could feel something happening. After a few minutes of this, I was met with some resistance; it wasn't much of an obstacle, and I powered through it.

"Yessss," the demon hissed. "I'm almost free, child. Just a little more… one more tug…"

I kept pushing, and the moment I felt a surge of power leaving my body, the room began to shake. I stopped then, opening my eyes and looking around. I was dizzy and a little light-headed, but I would have to suck it up and deal with it – our escape wouldn't be postponed on account of a headache. "Hello? Are you… are you still here?" I whispered into the dark, feeling foolish. The room was still shaking, and I knew we only had so much time… "I command you to return to your master!" I hissed, shutting my eyes and imagining myself as a vacuum, pulling in the spirits.

I felt a breeze blow through the room, and the shaking stopped. "Well, well, well… you seem to be most adept at controlling your powers, my dear. Most necromancers cannot even summon at your age," she said, sounding almost maternal.

"We don't have time to make small-talk here, in case you haven't noticed. Get me out of this cell!"

No sooner had the words left my mouth than the locks began to open, the mechanical components on the door turning and moving and whatever else they did when the locks were activated. I telepathically thanked the demon, then grabbed the door and pulled.

There was nobody there.

_Idiots. What happened to being under 'constant surveillance'?_

I'd been expecting my usual guard – been planning on having the demon knock him out or lure him away or _something_ – but it seemed he had the night off… _Go figure._

I leaned my head against the door-jamb and did my best to look up and down the hallway, searching for signs that there were guards and cameras watching. I couldn't see any guards, but unfortunately, both cameras were trained on the exits – our _only_ exits.

"Shit!" I cursed, pulling back from the door. "The cameras! We won't be able to escape without them seeing us!"

"One moment, child. I'll be right back."

I felt the demon's energy retreating. A few nervous foot-taps later, I felt her return.

"Did you disable the cameras?" I asked anxiously.

"I need not have bothered," she said. "They'd already been shut off. I tell you, if these Edison Group people had any brains at all, they'd hire someone competent to man the security team instead of the brain-dead fool they have now…"

I couldn't believe our good luck. "Stop complaining, will you? We still have to go bust out Tori and Simon!"

I could practically _feel _her rolling her eyes at me. "Very well, then. I'm going to go create your distraction."

I could feel her moving away again. "Wait!" I hissed as loud as I possibly could. "Where are you going? You're supposed to help me break them out!"

"You can do that all by yourself, silly girl. I need to go create your distraction, or else you're going to meet with a few very angry guards when you release your angry little friend."

I bit my lip and thought it over. "Very well," I decided. "But you have to wait until Tori's free, or else it might be too early. Got it?"

"Understood. Now, don't you have a job to do?"

* * *

I punched in the combination to Tori's door confidently, then stepped back, expecting it to swing open.

It didn't.

_Shit, shit, shit!_

I grabbed the handle and pulled, hoping it would be enough. It wasn't, and after a few tries, I began to feel a little hopeless. I didn't want to try random combinations – it would take too long, and I had no idea if using the wrong code set off an alarm or something. Instead, I knocked on the door lightly.

I cringed at the echo the action produced – it sounded as if I'd been pounding on the metal door with one of those giant Nintendo-game hammers – and prayed no one had heard. _Oh, who am I kidding? Someone in China probably heard that!_

Luckily, I didn't have to wait long. Tori's voice could be heard pretty clearly through the door, and at that moment, she was whispering my name. "Chloe? Is that you?"

"Yeah," I whispered back, feeling even more panicked. "I don't know what's going on, Tori! The combo for your door won't work and they probably heard my knock and there was an earthquake and-"

"Chloe, calm down. Breathe. I've got this under control, okay?"

"What do you mean, you have this-?"

"Step away from the door!" she snapped.

I did as she said, standing against the opposite wall. I waited, expecting some incredible show of power – an explosion, or another earthquake, perhaps – but nothing happened. I just stood there for what felt like hours, waiting for Tori to perform some kind of magical miracle and bust herself out.

After what felt like a lifetime, the door swung open and Tori strode out, looking smug.

I stared at her in disbelief, mouth open in surprise. "How-?"

"No time! I'll explain once we get the hell out of here!" she whispered, leading me towards Simon's room. She stopped in front of his door and looked around anxiously before turning to me. "Please, _please _tell me you know the _correct _combination for his door," she begged.

"I do. Liz got it for me." I leaned down and punched in the combination, then straightened up again.

Unlike Tori's door, Simon's made a little whirring noise after I typed in the code. A few seconds later, it swung open, revealing a room that was completely dark and absolutely impossible to see into.

"What the hell?" Tori mumbled, searching for a light switch. I grabbed her arm to remind her to stay quiet as we entered the pitch-black room, feeling for the walls so we wouldn't trip over anything. There was a weird beeping noise coming from somewhere inside the room, and the sound of laboured breathing—

Tori switched on the light, blinding us both for a moment.

Once I'd rubbed my eyes and let them adjust, I looked around.

Tori gasped behind me. I was just as horrified as she was, but I couldn't seem to find my voice.

"W-why is h-he…?" she stammered, sounding a lot more like me than I thought she ever could.

I didn't answer her. Instead, I strode over to Simon's bed. I stood there, unsure of what to do – I had been worried, but obviously I'd underestimated the situation – he was connected to what seemed like a hundred different machines and monitors with clamps and needles and those weird little wires with white tape on the ends.

Tori appeared behind me. "What happened to him?" she asked again, her voice steady this time. She leaned over the plastic bar on the side of the bed, looking for an injury.

I debated with myself for a moment, wondering whether or not to tell Tori about what (I thought) Simon had done. Did I have the right to tell her? After all, it was _Simon's _secret – I would feel bad telling her something he might not want known, especially if I was wrong about what had happened. _Maybe he really did forget to take his medication. It might not have had anything to do with what you told him! _

The more I thought about it, the more I thought telling Tori should wait… or never happen. After all, Simon and I had been best friends for years; maybe he would talk about it with me one day, but Tori? I highly doubted he would ever be close enough to Tori to spill his deepest, darkest secrets…

Come to think of it, he probably didn't even want _me _knowing. Just thinking about what I might've done that day if Liz hadn't saved me made me cringe, and I _still _hadn't told Tori _myself_ – never planned to, to be perfectly honest. I had a feeling that if I told her, it'd always be there between us – something in the back of our minds that we both wanted to talk about but wouldn't dare bring up in case the conversation became awkward. She would probably never look at me the same way – never trust me to make the right decisions in a difficult situation.

And because I knew Simon and I were so alike, I decided to keep his secret.

"He… forgot to take his meds. Passed out or something, but he's okay now," I assured her. "We just have to wake him up and un-attach the IVs and everything else, all right?"

"Sure." She nodded, and something in her eyes told me she knew there was something off about my story. "But won't it trigger an alarm if we disconnect him from the machines?"

"Don't worry about it."

She nodded and set to work, not asking why I wasn't worried. _She's either way too trusting or doesn't want to know_, I mused. Tori and I worked together to disconnect the machines – Tori was removing the taped-on sensors, while I had the oh-so pleasant task of pulling out Simon's multiple IVs.

I tried telling myself that it wasn't really Simon – just some random stranger I was helping – just like the time I'd bandaged up a very battered Derek. It didn't work, though, and as I tried as hard as I could to be gentle, all I could think was, _this is Simon. Simon. And he almost killed himself, whether it was done purposely or not. You almost lost them both._

And that was when I started to cry.

_God, when did I become such a cry-baby? _I wondered as my vision blurred. I stopped what I was doing, not wanting to hurt Simon by pulling on something because I couldn't see properly. _Oh yeah, when my best friend / the love of my life died._

Tori heard me blubbering like a baby and tried to console me without ever taking her eyes off what she was doing. "He's gunna be fine, Chloe! Don't worry about him! He's gunna be back to his annoying self as soon as we get out of here, and then you'll be wishing we left him behind!" I shook my head and wiped my cheek, embarrassed that I was nothing but emotional lately. Once I recovered, I began carefully extracting the remaining IVs from Simon's arm, praying I was doing it correctly.

The ground began to shake as I pulled out the last needle. I finished up, then glanced up at Tori. "That's our signal – they found out we escaped," I explained. "Now we just have to wake him up and get the hell outta here."

"That might be kinda difficult, Chloe. In case you haven't noticed, his breathing was really slow and he hasn't moved at all while we pulled off the tubes and everything; I'm pretty sure he's been knocked out with something stronger than children's _Tylenol._"

I knew she was right, but that didn't stop me from shaking Simon in a pathetic attempt to wake him just shook her head at me and grabbed one of the leftover IV needles that was laying on the table. "Move back," she instructed, her face eerily calm. I did as she said and backed up, watching as she leaned down and pushed Simon's sleeping form, flipping him over.

"Tori, what are you-?"

She plunged the needle down and left it stuck in, sticking out of the butt of his pajama pants.

The effect was immediate: Simon's eyes shot open and he jumped up, confused - and in a lot of pain, judging by the look on his face. Tori had covered his mouth with her hand to keep him from screaming, and he yanked it off, his eyes filled with hatred.

"WHAT THE FUCK WAS THAT?" he hissed, looking from my face to Tori's.

"How else were we supposed to wake you up, jackass? It's not like we had a bucket or anything."

Simon grabbed the needle and pulled it out, wincing. "So you stab me in the ass? Really Tori?"

She shrugged. "Worked, didn't it?"

He mumbled something under his breath, and Tori turned red with anger almost immediately. "What did you call me, you pathetic excuse for a spell-caster?"

"Guys!" I hissed. "We're in the middle of an escape here! Can you save this for another time?"

They both seemed to remember I was in the room then. Simon's face contorted into a cross between confused and remorseful, and he seemed like he was about to say something to me. I hoped it was an apology, but then I remembered where we were and what we were doing, and I remembered that it wasn't exactly the best time. "We need to hurry, guys! The demon's not gunna be able to distract them for very long."

Tori yanked Simon out of bed by his ear, not waiting for him to get up himself. When he tried to complain, she grabbed his medication off the table and shoved it into his arms, then shoved him towards the door. "Let's go! We don't have time to play nice, pretty-boy!" She pushed him out the door after making sure the coast was clear.

We started running, and the demi-demon's voice was in my head, telling me she was leaving now that her job was done.

"What do you mean? You haven't even gotten us out of here yet!" I shrieked. Simon and Tori glanced backwards at me as they ran, looking for whoever I was talking to. When they didn't see anyone, Tori just shrugged and returned her focus to the task at hand: running like hell. Simon, on the other hand, watched me with concern. He'd obviously heard the part about the demon and gotten worried – as I'd expected him to. Derek had told us all about demons when we were younger, and we both knew the number one rule of surviving an encounter with a demon: no making deals. Ever.

Which was why I'd been so reluctant to do so in the first place…

"I've fulfilled my promises to you, child. I have my freedom now, and I am going to use it to leave this accursed place once and for all."

"But you promised to get us out of here!"

She laughed – that stupid little laugh that made the hair on the back of my neck stand up. "Foolish child, I only promised to ensure you escaped your cells… you never once mentioned the compound." The sound of her laughing faded, and then she was gone. The building stopped shaking as soon as she left, leaving us confused and unprepared in the middle of the hallway.

"There goes our distraction," Tori mumbled.

"How did you know she left?" I asked, amazed: could Tori have some necromancer blood in her?

"The ground stopped shaking… I thought it was kind of obvious," she explained.

_Oh wow… blond moment._

We all stopped running once we reached the door at the end of the hallway. "What do we do now?" Simon asked, his voice still rough from sleep.

"I say we stick to the old plan: hiding and running when no one is looking," Tori suggested.

"Good idea," I said, pushing the door open. "Let's go! The guard's will be here any second now!"

We flew down the length of the second hallway, stopping abruptly once we heard approaching footsteps. "Hide!" Tori whispered, looking for a spot. The problem was, there was nowhere _to _hide: it was a long, straight hallway, with doors on either side.

I was about to ask where Tori thought we should hide when she pulled open a random door and ushered us inside, closing it softly behind her. She turned around and smiled, proud of herself – too bad she'd led us straight into a trap.

We could hear the sound of two male voices coming from the adjoining room. They were guards – we were almost 100 percent sure. Neither of them seemed to have heard us enter the room, though, so we had a few minutes of safety before they found us… or at least we hoped we did. We need a few moments to collect our thoughts and come up with a plan, but it didn't look like we were going to get them.

The guards' laughs drifted in from the other room, and something about them sounded… almost familiar, as if I'd heard them before somewhere.

"Remember, the necro girl is the only one we need alive. The other brats don't matter," one of them reminded the other, the voice strangely familiar to me as well. Then - so quickly we didn't have time to hide, so silently we didn't even hear him coming – a guard appeared in the doorway, clutching his gun to his chest.

It was _my _guard.

All three of us froze, muscles tensed and ready for the moment we'd have to attack. The guard did the same, looking from Simon's face to Tori's and then to mine. He didn't say a word – didn't move an inch – but we weren't going to let him go back and report our whereabouts.

I caught Tori's eye and sent her a silent message: _We have to get rid of him. Do something! _He noticed the exchange and shook his head, putting his gun back in the holster at his waist. Tori and I stared at him while Simon just crouched there, staring down the guard.

No one moved for what felt like years. We all remained in our positions, each of us too afraid to shift our stances in case our movements threw off the balance of the strange quadrilateral we formed. The guard was waiting for us to make our move; I was waiting for it too, wondering why Tori and Simon hadn't done anything yet. Maybe they were waiting for the guard to do something? Whatever it was, it kept us all from moving, even fractionally.

The other guard – I was sure it was the one who'd shot Derek that night – called to our guard from the other room. "Hey, Jim? Ya find anythin'? You been awfully quiet there, buddy!" he called, his southern drawl igniting a fury so deep within me that I wanted to stand up, march over to the other room, kill him myself and drag him back to his corpse until he pleaded for the mercy of hell.

I was sure 'Jim' was going to give us up - waited for him to say, "yeah, I found those stupid brats we were searching for! They were hiding right here, the dimwits!" – but he stayed silent and locked eyes with me instead.

"Didn't find a thing," he called back, eyes on mine – I felt like he was trying to send me a message: _This is your chance to get out of here, kid. Go now! Hurry!_

The guard in the other room started laughing. "Ya well, Davidoff is a kook anyway! Those damned kids prolly already hightailed it outta here, don't cha think? Know I would if I had half a brain!"

Our guard chuckled half-heartedly, then moved into the room with us and closed the door behind him. "Listen to me. You have to get out of here, _now_. They have every half-demon and spell-caster employee looking for you kids. You have to leave now or you'll never get out of here. Do you understand me?"

Tori was the first to move. She stood up and pulled us up with her, tugging gently on our sleeves. "Cummon guys," she whispered.

We followed her to the door and stepped out once she's opened it, still in a daze of sorts. '_Why would the guard let us go like that?' _was probably running through each of our heads at that point, but only I was able to answer my own question: he felt guilty.

Some people will argue that guilt isn't strong enough to make you change your mind – to change your outlook on life completely – but those people haven't felt _real _guilt yet: the kind of guilt you feel deep in your stomach, the kind that weighs down your heart until you feel like screaming and confessing will be the only way to relieve the heaviness. Guilt can drive you insane – push you to do crazy things you'd never even consider doing under normal circumstances. I'd been hounded by guilt ever since the night Derek was killed, and I had to admit: my mental state wasn't as stable as it could be. I always felt like I was drowning – like all the air was gone, and I was trying my hardest to take a deep breath. It was the guilt of my parent's deaths that'd haunted me as a child – I had been sure it was my fault, and Davidoff had confirmed my suspicions for me – and the guilt of Derek's death our imprisonments that hounded me now. I knew what guilt could do to you – turn you from an innocent little girl to a monster; transform not only your mind but your heart – and I knew that was why the guard had let us go.

"Good luck, kid," he whispered, just before I left the room.

I nodded once and left, following Simon out the door.

* * *

We ran full-out down the hallway, never stopping. We knew from personal experience (our first escape) that there were a few more hallways to go before we reached the exit, but we weren't worried – we were sure we were home free.

And we were. As we burst out of the last hallway and out into the night, we all breathed a huge sigh of relief – well, Simon and I. Tori was still on edge and insisted that we let her cast a few Disillusionment spells to keep us from being seen.

She closed her eyes, and after a few seconds, I could no longer see Simon or Tori. They were there, though – I could hear their breathing, Simon's still a bit labored and Tori's a little quicker due to all the running we'd been doing.

With one last look at the compound where we'd been through so much, we disappeared into the night.

This time, we knew the only way we were coming back would be in body-bags.

* * *

**A/N: So there it is! A long-ass chapter (took me long enough, right?) for you guys, complete with (awesome?) escape scene and some drama. Make sure you let me know what you thought about what happened with Simon (theories about what happened to him, maybe?) and the guard helping them escape! :)**

**BTW, if any of you have read **_**Incarceron**_**, lemme know what you thought of it!**

**Anyways, 30 reviews and I'll post the next chapter along with the link for the outtake (Derek and Tori's walk to the city). Sound good? (Please guys? It's 8000 words long! Leave me some love, won't you?)**

**REVIEWW!**


	22. Always

Hey guys! Long time no see! I know it's been a while since I updated, but I had to read (and reread multiple times) _Mockingjay_ (which, by the way, made me bawl my eyes out!).

I'm gunna try to keep this short, but a big hug goes out to everyone who reviewed the last chapter: **Kelsey-Short** (please put down the pitch fork! I'm afraid of pointy things!), **twilight-luver-88**, **BunnyRabbitHopsWhenExcited-Me** (I LOVE YOU I LOVE YOU I LOVE YOU I LOVE YOU, too :P), **moon-called-princess**, **burning** (of course. Seriously, I'll be putting shout-outs to you in every story I ever write!), **Brianna Stark** (that's cuz I'm, like, the most depressed fan fiction writer who's ever written a DP story… JK! Lol :P), **marlene**, **Lilly87**, **xxNecro-Grlxx** (thank you so much for reviewing! Most people chose to remain in the shadows ;P), **xxStarBrightxx**, **suzi1811** (thank you so much! When I read your reviews, it's like you understand it so well that you're inside my head or something! :P), **JessiKa xoxo** (thank you for being so honest and for the advice!), **ShylyOutgoing**, **K. Higurashi** (glad I could make you laugh! It actually happened to me once, though, so I know from experience that you shouldn't wish that on your worst enemy!), **vampiremom1221** (I'll try, but I can't make any promises!), **peanutlol**, **DreamDark** (you = pure awesome!), (should I be flattered or afraid of you? I'm still unsure at this point… lol :P), **wolfgirl369**, **Midnight KAT04**,**julizax13,** **SongSiren1228** (THE TIME FOR ACTION IS NOW! Lol :P) **.substitute** and **c.a.a** (you foxy thang, you! I will be creeping you out and touching your hair very soon!). Thank you guys so much for taking the time to let me know how you feel about and what you thought about the chapter! Also, even though you don't review, I'd like to thank everyone else who reads this story regularly. We have hit almost 1000 subscribers and I get almost 2000 hits per chapter at this point, which means there's a whole lot more of you guys than I ever dreamed there would be. Thank you for supporting this story (and me)! *Gets emotional*

One last thing: let me know if you had problems with the last chapter. I know some people were telling me that the email alert they got wasn't working, and I was getting worried…

Enjoy, guys! Sorry for making you wait!

* * *

**Disclaimer: Steph has just finished reading **_**Mockingjay**_**, while Christina has yet to do so.**

Steph: *Is in shock*

Christina: *Raises eyebrow*  
Are you okay?

Steph: *Lifts head from pillow and stares at a blank spot on the wall*  
I… I don't know. I think I have to cry, but I'm so… I don't even know what to call this emotion.

Christina: *Worried*  
Do you need a distraction? What about if I scare you, like with the hiccups?

*Tries to come up with something*  
What if I told you that you don't own DP? Would that help?

Steph: *Shakes head slowly*

Christina: *Still worried*  
What if I took you to Starbuck's and Chapters? Would you feel better then?

Steph: *Shakes head*

Christina: How bout we go for a walk and spend all day in the make-up section at Rexall? I know how much you love doing that! Or how about we go to Costco?  
*Baby talk-voice*  
You wanna go to Costco, girl? Do ya? Do ya?

Steph: *Shakes head*

Christina: *Really worried*  
What do you want, then?

Steph: *Puppy dog eyes*  
A hug would be nice…

* * *

Always

"_There's this place in me where your fingerprints still rest, your kisses still linger, and your whispers softly echo. It's the place where a part of you will forever be a part of me; always."_  
-Gretchen Kemp

* * *

I stood at the edge of the beach, watching the tide come in. I watched the water slide over the sand, disturbing and altering everything in its path, leaving behind nothing but a few subtle traces and the destruction it caused. I watched as the sand moved out of its way – watched as the force of the water pushed and pulled the sand in a hundred different directions. I watched and I watched and I watched, not daring to get any closer.

_I shouldn't be here right now. We're supposed to be safe, and the demon is gone. I shouldn't be back here again._

I walked along the edge of the water, staying close but also making sure that no part of my body touched the water in any way. I was weary of my return to this place – what could be waiting for me on the other side of those waves? What would happen once I succumbed to the call of the water and let myself return? Nothing good, I was sure, but it had to be important - why would I be here again if not for some vital reason? I debated with myself for a few minutes, trying to figure out whether it was worth it to go back. _The demon could be here to give me some advice_, I rationalized. _She could be here to warn us about the Edison Group's plans…_

Finally, after what felt like hours, I decided that checking it out was worth the risk.

I took a deep breath - filling my lungs with as much air as I possibly could – and walked forward, diving under when the water was up to my waist. The minute my whole body was submerged, I closed my eyes and began to count.

I opened them after less than five seconds and found myself not in the city-square, but standing in the middle of my backyard at home –well, Andrew and Lauren's home - the trees behind me swaying noisily as the wind flitted through their branches.

_What the heck?_

I looked around, not daring to move a muscle in case my movements triggered something. It was dark, but I could see everything perfectly – as if my eyes had built-in headlights. I couldn't see anything from where I was standing, but I could hear voices – the sounds of people chit-chatting, laughing, and having a good time…

I wondered where the voices were coming from and decided to look around, not bothering to keep still anymore. _I can always wake myself up if something happens, right_?

I searched the entire property, but there were no signs of life coming from the house or anywhere nearby. I finally gave up after trying the doors, finding to my surprise that they were all locked and that my key didn't work anymore. I returned to the backyard and slumped against a tree, wondering what the point of the dream was – could there have been something I was missing? Something I was supposed to do? If there was, I wasn't having any luck figuring it out. For lack of something better to do, I studied my surroundings: it didn't take long, considering I'd spent the better part of six years here, either sitting against a tree and chatting with Simon or laying down on the cool ground and telling Derek something about how school was that day, or how much I resented the fact that I couldn't sleep through the night anymore.

I sat there for an eternity, reminiscing about the things I'd said and the things I'd wished I'd said. _This was our spot_, I reminded myself, swiping at the tears on my cheeks before giving up and letting them trail down the sides of my face; it was _my _dream after all – who would see me crying? Who would care?

And then – because I was already crying and I was in _our spot _and I was so, so tired of being strong and there was this huge, gaping hole in my chest where my heart used to be – I whispered his name into the darkness. "D-Derek," I whispered, using the back of my hand to dry my cheeks. "P-Please come b-back. I miss you, s-so much. Please, come b-back…"

I hated myself for being so weak, but I had to do it – had to make sure he was really gone. If he answered my summons… well, I'd already accepted the fact that he was dead, hadn't I? I really had nothing to lose at that point.

I sat there in the dark, waiting.

It didn't take very long.

I heard the rustling of leaves first – as if the entire forest was announcing his arrival. I strained my ears for the sound of his footsteps - waited for the tell-tale sound of a twig snapping underfoot – but the entire forest was silent after the trees calmed down, and I had to remind myself that I'd never been able to hear him approach even when he'd been alive. I held my breath, counting the seconds: _one, two, three, four…_

I blinked and he was there, standing in front of me with his arms crossed, his signature scowl twisting his features into a familiar grimace.

For a second, I forgot everything - I forgot that we were inside a dream, and that his reappearance meant he was gone forever. I forgot that he'd been dead for weeks now and that I'd been mourning him since the moment I saw him fall in front of my eyes. I forgot that I was a necromancer, and the fact that I could see him meant nothing except that he was there in some form. I forgot it all in that first instant; forgot how to breathe, too. All that mattered to me was that he was _there_, and that I could hug him and feel his arms around me again…

I jumped to my feet, ready to throw my arms around his neck, eager to hear his laugh again. I knew if I could just hear him laugh again, everything would be all right and I could forget—

And then it all came flooding back, the force of it hitting me so hard that I really couldn't breathe for a moment. _He's here_, I thought. _Which means he really is… he's really_—

I felt for the tree behind me, using the cool bark underneath my palm to guard me back down to the forest floor. _He's dead. He really is dead. _It was like I was losing him all over again.

My head began to spin, and I could feel the dream slipping away, retreating back into my subconscious… I held on, not wanting it to be over so soon. "D-Derek?" I asked, already knowing it was him, but still asking to be sure.

"What do you want, necromancer?" he barked, his voice and his eyes as cold as ice. "Why have you summoned me?"

I opened my mouth to respond, then closed it. _What am I supposed to say? 'Just making sure you're dead, sorry about that!'?_

"Derek, it's m-me… it's Chloe! Don't you r-remember me?" I asked, wondering how long it took for someone to get used to being dead. There were still tears making their way down the length of my face, but now my grief was mingled with something else now: confusion.

"Oh, I remember, alright," he spat, his arms unfolding as his eyes turned to steel. Something about his glare shocked me, and I backed up against the tree – which was foolish, considering we were inside _my_ dream and he was a ghost – and tried to stand. I got to my feet shakily as he glowered at me, rooted in place.

"W-what's wr-wrong with y-you?" I asked, my voice low, knowing I couldn't handle much more than that… I really should have been asking myself that question, because my body was responding to what I was seeing in a very bizarre way: I could feel my heart beating fast against my ribcage, and the hair on the back of my neck was sticking straight up. I'd felt this way before, but it didn't make sense now – how could I be so terrified, when it was Derek who stood before me? I could feel that familiar nausea spreading, creeping up the length of my abdomen; I could feel my hands shaking and my throat closing up and _none of it made sense_! I knew I should be feeling grief, sadness, and despair… but _fear_? Fear was NOT an emotion I was supposed to associate with _Derek_ of all people!

_THIS IS DEREK! _I shouted inwardly. _D-E-R-E-K. Why am I so afraid? Why do I feel this way?_

"What's wrong with _me_? I should be asking you that question! Why did you summon me? Why did you disturb my afterlife?" he demanded, the anger in his tone making it hard to look up at him. His voice held no familiarity whatsoever – he'd never spoken to me in this tone – like I was someone he knew he hated before we even met.

"I… I just w-wanted t-to m-make s-sure," I choked out, close to hyperventilating. My eyes were filled with tears – my vision blurry because of the amount, and it was like my tear-ducts were in overdrive.

"'Make sure'? Of what, exactly? That you could bend the rules of necromancy and contact me? Or that you could go even further and raise my _corpse_?" He smiled, but it was all wrong to me... It reminded me of the smiles I gave to Davidoff – the tilt of his lips suggested a deep hatred hiding just beneath the surface – and I cringed, waiting for him to explode like he usually did when something pissed him off enough. Instead of a smile, though, I got an insult: "I always knew you were a monster, Chloe Saunders."

It was like someone had decided to pull the ground out from underneath my feet. I felt like I was falling, falling, falling; I never hit the ground, but whatever was left of my heart shattered all the same. I knew he was right, of course – no matter how many times he'd tried to convince me otherwise, I _knew _what I was – but that wasn't why it hurt so badly. It was the fact that he'd agreed with me – that the one person who knew me better than anyone else; the one person who I knew loved me unconditionally – could confirm what I knew in my heart to be true without so much as 'no offense'.

Though my words were slurred by my tears, I tried my best to convince him that I meant him no harm. "D-Derek, I only s-summoned you so I c-could… so I c-could see-"

"Isn't it enough for you, _Chloe_," he sneered my name like it was curse word he preferred not to use too often, "knowing that you are the reason I was _killed_? Did you have to summon me – to use me to do your bidding? Did it not occur to you that, had you summoned too powerfully, I would be trapped in my rotting corpse dozens of miles away?"

There was so much anger and malice in his voice – so much hate plainly written across his face and reflected in his eyes that I couldn't find my tongue to respond. Instead, I stood there in the forest - tears flooding my eyes as my whole body shook with my quiet sobs. He was right, again… and I knew it. Knew that – without a trace of doubt clouding my mind – I was the reason he was dead. And what was worse: he knew it as well. He'd also reminded me of how foolish I'd been in summoning him: hadn't I made a promise to myself to leave Derek alone?

And what if – like he'd suggested – I'd accidentally sent him back to his body?

Could that have been the reason he was haunting me?

_No, he wouldn't be here right now if he was stuck there…_

"Now," he continued as if we were talking about the weather, "you can either release me or force me to do your bidding, necromancer. Take your pick."

I tried to compose myself enough to answer him, but I couldn't even form a complete sentence. "R-Release-" My lips struggled to form even that simple word, so I gave up on verbal communication. I closed my eyes and clenched my fists, concentrating like I'd never done before. I focused all of my energy – all of my power; my thoughts, even – on Derek, envisioning the moment when I would send him back to the spirit world and away from me. Something felt off, though – every time I envisioned sending him back, my vision ended and my mind went blank; it was as if my subconscious mind wanted him there and was sabotaging my efforts…

It didn't last for very long. Eventually I was able to correctly envision his release, and after a few tries I opened my eyes and saw that he'd vanished.

When I was sure he was really gone, I closed my eyes in preparation for my own release from the dream-world. I imagined myself floating back up to the beach and resurfacing, pulling in that first lungful of air that always tasted sweeter than anything I'd ever tasted. I imagined myself kicking and propelling myself through the water and back to shore, and when I opened my eyes, I was already there again, watching the water slosh forward onto the sand.

That was when I collapsed.

I felt like I was being ripped apart from the inside: my heart was still there, beating franticly even though I knew it was already in a million pieces – broken beyond repair. My lungs felt like they were either going to collapse or explode judging by the way I was never able to get enough air, and both my stomach and my head were a mess. I felt nauseous again and the world was spinning around me, making it very difficult to find something to hold on to. In all the weeks I'd spent in the compound, crying my eyes out every day, I'd never cried like this – never fallen apart or come undone this completely before. I knew it was because of his presence, his cold demeanor and his even colder words, but it didn't matter – I was too far gone to talk myself down like I'd done before, too broken to even attempt to re-assemble myself again.

Somewhere between my hysterical sobbing and my rocking back and forth, I must've woken up; I could hear Tori's voice in my ear, trying to calm me down as I sobbed and rocked.

"Oh Chloe… Chloe, you need to calm down, hun. You need to breathe." She rubbed my back in small circular patterns, her voice much gentler than I'd ever heard it. "It's alright, Chloe. We're safe now! We're safe!"

I shook my head, trying to tell her she'd misunderstood – I hadn't been dreaming about our escape at all - and simultaneously wondered whether I would ever have such logical, sensible dreams... I didn't think it was possible.

"D-Derek," I choked out his name while I was still able to form coherent phrases, hoping she'd understand. "I saw h-him- dr-dream- m-my f-fault!"

She continued to whisper comforting words and rub my back, as if what I'd said meant nothing. "Shhh, Chloe, it was only a dream! Don't believe it for a second, okay? Whatever he said—that wasn't Derek, Chloe! It was just a nightmare! Just a nightmare!"

I shook my head violently and pulled back from her. "No! It was r-really h-him!" I stammered through my tears. How could I explain that it wasn't a dream? How was I supposed to describe the place where the demi-demon took me – the place where only the spirits of the dead could reach me? She wouldn't understand – she'd think I was crazy and want nothing to do with me anymore…

She pulled me into a hug, and I buried my face in her shirt, soaking her sweater completely after less than ten minutes. By then Simon was awake as well, and Tori handed me over to him so she could remove her sweater.

He brushed my hair back from my face and let me lay my forehead on his shoulder as he tried to come up with something to say - he never said anything; what was there to say, after all? I knew what he was going to say anyway – what was the point of wasting his breath? We both knew it wasn't going to be alright – it would never be, ever again – and all the crying in the world wasn't going to bring him back to life. Nothing we did or said would make a difference. Nothing; because he was gone.

Gone forever.

* * *

Hours later, Simon was still holding me tightly to him, his arms around me as I cried silently. I was sure he was crying as well, but I couldn't be sure – because of our position and my lack of height, I couldn't see his face. We were sharing so much more than a hug then – we were sharing our grief, and our loss, and the burden of it all. And because I knew he felt the same way I did, I didn't allow myself to break down as badly as I had before – Simon's grief had given me the strength I need to pull myself together.

Eventually Tori's voice broke through the silence. "I hardly knew Derek, but the things I knew… I think they made him who he was, so I'd like to believe I knew him pretty well," she began, her voice barely above a whisper. Neither Simon nor I said anything to confirm or deny what she was saying, because neither of us had any idea what she was talking about.

"We fought the whole way out during our first escape, but you guys remember that, right?" She laughed lightly to brighten the mood, but her heart wasn't in it and it died out quickly. She continued as if nothing had happened. "Well, Fido and I had a lot of time to kill on our way to the city, so we talked…" She took a deep breath, preparing to plunge into another sentence. "We talked about you, mostly," she said, and I knew she meant me. "I asked him things, like how he felt about you and why he kept all those secrets…

"He told me a lot, Chloe," she said, eyes distant as she remembered their conversation that day. "He told me he loved you so much that it scared _him_," she whispered, eyes fixed on a point in the distance. "And, he told me about everything he did for you – everything he did to protect you… Did you know he was getting rid of the animals you raised while you slept?" she asked.

By now Simon and I had separated, and I was able to answer Tori with a simple nod.

"All the stuff he did for you, Chloe… all the stuff he did to protect you; I'm pretty sure that doesn't all get forgotten once you die – your memories make you who you are, after all!"

I looked at her quizzically – I was so tired, and she wasn't making sense…

She grabbed my hands suddenly, holding them around the wrists. "Listen to me," she said fiercely. "He loved you and Simon more than anything – more than anything else in the world! That thing you saw in your dream was NOT HIM, alright? I _know_ it wasn't, and believing otherwise would be disrespectful to his memory, in my opinion!" She had tears in her own eyes now, which triggered another fresh wave in mine.

I nodded, transfixed by her words. I'd never heard Tori speak so passionately about _anything_, and I was sure her doing so meant she truly believed in what she was saying. I knew she was right – how could I have ever believed that _my _Derek would be acting the way he had in my dream? The Derek I knew was selfless and always willing to risk his life to protect his loved ones, not bitter and selfish... _My _Derek made me feel safe the moment I felt his presence – not frightened and terrified like the dream-Derek had made me feel.

And in that moment, I knew I had to stop. I had to stop torturing myself – had to stop ruining my memories of Derek with nightmares like the ones I'd been experiencing lately. I had to let go of all the negative thoughts and feelings and allow myself to remember him without all the guilt and the heartbreak that accompanied his memories lately.

I had to forgive myself.

I knew it wasn't going to be easy – hell, it would probably be the hardest thing I'd ever have to do – but I knew I had to do it. I had to forgive myself for my parents' deaths, for the trouble I'd caused Lauren and Andrew over the years, and for Derek's death. I had to start letting go of all the guilt and the self-hatred I'd been harboring for so long, or the only place I'd end up would be back in my cell in the compound, once again pressing a jagged shard of glass into the soft skin at my wrist.

I glanced at Simon and Tori, both huddled together over the fire, talking. I knew I had to start being strong for them, because they wouldn't be able to support me forever - I would have to start carrying my burdens alone soon. I had to be strong and selfless and brave – just as Derek had been. I had to stop acting like a Justin Beiber fan girl and start acting like a leader – the leader our little misfit group so desperately needed now that Derek was gone.

I stood up and brushed off my jeans. Once they were clean, I told Simon and Tori that I was going to 'take care of business'. They both nodded, and I left, knowing they wouldn't follow me.

I found the spot after a few minutes of walking: the little clearing where Derek and I had talked the night after our first escape. This was the place where I'd told him I loved him, and the place where he spent his last night alive. I found the tree where I'd spent the night, then found the one he'd been leaning against as he guarded our make-shift camp.

I studied the tree. It was tall – the branches seemed like they would never end, like they'd keep growing until they were tall enough to touch the sun – and obviously a few hundred years old, judging by the thickness of the trunk. There was nothing outwardly remarkable about the tree – it looked like every other tree in the clearing, every other tree in the forest – but I could _feel _him here, feel his presence lingering in the spot. I ran my hand over the bark and looked down, wondering if Derek had left anything behind.

Something caught my eye, and I crouched down to study it, not believing what I was seeing.

There, etched into the cold ground, were a few words written in a familiar, neat handwriting:

_I love you. More than you'll ever know_.

My hands were shaking as I brushed the words with the pads of my fingers, and I had to squeeze my eyes shut to force back the tears. How long had these been here, waiting for me to read them? How long had they been here, perfectly preserved in the spot I never thought I'd be returning to? I traced the first sentence with my index finger, letting it follow the path he'd carved into the dirt.

I stayed there for a while, hardly moving as I reflected on the conversation we'd had that night. I could remember every detail – picture clearly in my mind every second we'd spent talking, hear every word we'd said to each other.

_When did he have time to write this? _I wondered. _Was it after we talked, or before? _I was pretty sure he'd written it after my little confession, but that didn't make sense… why hadn't I seen it as we were leaving? I pondered that while I searched for rocks and everything else I needed.

Once I found a sharp enough rock, I set to work, carving a shape into the tree.

When I was finished, I stood back to admire my work: the cross couldn't have been more than a few inches either way, and the contrast of the pale wood underneath the bark made it stand out even in the semi-darkness of dawn. It was almost done.

I crouched down again, using the rock to write my message directly beneath his. A single tear escaped as I was working, but I brushed it off and kept going. Once my message was written, I got up, brushed off my pants, and returned to Simon and Tori. I felt a lot better, knowing that anyone who stumbled across this tree would see the cross, his words, and then mine:

_I've always known._

_

* * *

_

**A/N: Well, there it is! **

**Thank you guys for all your support! I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Please let me know what you thought about the 'dream' and Tori's story (her POV from the walk. You'll be getting Derek's soon!); constructive criticism is greatly appreciated! :P **

**Anyways, good luck to anyone who has started or is starting school in the next week! I'll be cranking out as much updates as I can before I have to go back on September 7th! :'(**

**Please guys, REVIEW!**


	23. Pressure I

Hey guys! It's been a few weeks since I updated, so let's get to it, shall we?

A HUGE GINORMOUS WILLOBEAST-SIZED THANK YOU GOES OUT TO EVERYONE WHO REVIEWED THE LAST CHAPTER! I'm so grateful to all of you for your support and your kind words throughout the course of the story. It's because of your awesomeness that I keep putting myself out there (writing wise)! You know who you are, and I've answered almost all of your lovely reviews! :D I NEED to include a shoutout to a few AWESOME people, though: my pre-reader and beta - **burning**! You rock, and I'm pretty sure I'd still be stuck on chapter 7 (it was a toughie!) if it weren't for your help and advice. THANK YOU SO SO MUCH! *Sends cookies and hugs through the computer* Guys, goo check out her story! It's called "Open Door Policy" (The Mortal Instruments), and it's hilarious ;) I'll explain more in the closing A/N!

I also need to stop for a sec and talk about a really serious issue in the book community right now. Many of you have probably already heard about it, but there's a man in the United States who's trying to ban a book called _Speak_. _Speak _is probably one of the greatest, most inspiring books written in the last 15 years – it's the story of a girl who is raped and chooses to keep it a secret from everyone. She starts on a downward spiral that ruins her entire life, and I'm sure my summary isn't doing it any justice, but _please_, if you're going to a library or a bookstore in the next few months, check it out. This book needs to be on the shelves for the sake of anyone who's ever been abused, raped, or feels like an outcast, and the fact that some doctor in Missouri finds the rape scene 'sexually exciting' and wants to ban it for that reason makes me sick to my very core. Please guys, do the world a favour and check it out, because this man has no right to censor something that could (and has) saved the lives of hundreds of victims of abuse and rape.

Okay! I'm gunna stop rambling now and get on with it. Sorry about the wait!

* * *

**Disclaimer**: Steph is going a little crazy trying to juggle everything and decides Friday night would be a good time to get things done…

Christina: *Walks into Steph's room, sees her typing away like a madwoman*  
Uh… Steph? What in the name of Dean Winchesters unusually perky nipples are you doing?

Steph: *Doesn't bother looking up*  
School… two days… MUST. UPDATE!  
*Starts typing faster*

Christina: Umm… you know you're not an actual author, right? You don't have to meet ANY deadlines if you don't want to – that's the best part of NOT owning DP, ya know!

Steph: *Head swivels around like the exorcist while eye twitches*  
WHAT… did you say?

Christina: *Eyes widen as she begins backing up*  
Nothing! I said nothing!  
*Reaches door*  
I'll… I'll see you in school!  
*Runs for her life because WTF was that she just witnessed?*

* * *

Pressure I

_Once you stop fighting it, the pressure goes away. It becomes this thing that you remember with a laugh, something that you joke about later. Somewhere deep down, though, behind the jokes and the laughter, you remember how it felt – how you couldn't breathe in without thinking about it, how you fell into bed utterly exhausted at the end of the day, tired of putting up a fight. You remember the pressure, and the struggle, and you find yourself wondering when it finally became enough to break you._

_-_Anonymous

* * *

I could tell it was just before dawn as I trudged my way through the forest and finally managed to find my way back to our campsite. The sun was rising quickly, and I watched the sky turn from inky black to pale blue in a matter of minutes.

It was was already up by the time I made it back to our campsite. I had no idea how long I'd been gone, and I hoped Tori wouldn't feel the need to ask where I'd been, but I needn't have worried: the campsite was deserted, the fire had been put out, and Tori and Simon were nowhere to be found.

My heart sank about a hundred times faster than the Titanic. "Shit, shit, shit!" I cursed while I whipped my head around, desperately searching for them and praying they'd come through the trees; that they'd been searching for food or water or something and that I'd experienced these moments of blind terror in vain.

No such luck: after only a few minutes of searching, I was almost sure they'd left hours earlier.

I was alone in the woods.

"Tori! Simon! Where the hell are you guys?" I called, before realizing my mistake.

_Idiot. If the Edison Group is still searching for you nearby, you just handed them a colour-coded map to your location, complete with one of those 'you are here' stickers. In other words, you just told them exactly where to find you._

_Shit!_

I grabbed the backpack Liz had left for us and started running.

* * *

I weaved through the trees, the backpack I was carrying bumping between my shoulder blades. I could feel the adrenalin coursing through my veins, propelling me farther and farther into the depths of the forest. I knew there were only two possible reasons for Tori and Simon to leave camp without telling me: they'd either been captured by the Edison Group, or they'd seen something that they'd felt they HAD to investigate; either way, it meant trouble. If they'd seen something, they should've returned by now, and if they'd been captured... Well, they probably wouldn't be coming back. I, however, felt inclined to believe that it'd been the former - if only to protect what was left of my sanity.

_Where could they have gone? Where could they be?_ I kept asking myself the same questions over and over again, but I wasn't getting any answers whatsoever.

The more I ran, the closer together the trees became. The light from the sunrise wasn't able to penetrate the cover of the foliage overhead, making it almost impossible to see where I was going. I'd never been this deep in the forest before, but something - a feeling, or maybe just the ability to sense another supernatural nearby - was urging me forward. _Just a little further. Keep running and you'll find them!  
_  
When the light disappeared completely, I was forced to slow down and feel my way through the trees. "Guys!" I called, my voice shaking. I tried to steady it, but the next time, it sounded more like a feeble question. "G-guys?"

Nothing. I waited for a reply, but all I got was the sound of twigs snapping and leaves rustling overhead.

I took a few steps and froze.

There was that feeling again - the one I thought I'd never feel again - the one I'd hoped and prayed never to have to experience again. I could sense the presence of something dark nearby... something _evil._

It was the same feeling I'd had the morning Simon found Derek and I in the backyard together - the same one I'd felt when Derek appeared half-dead outside my window; the deep, chilling terror of it wrapped around my heart and froze me to the spot. My heart was pounding so fast that I was convinced it could be heard. I tried to calm myself down, but the chill that ran down my spine wouldn't allow for that. _Maybe if I stay perfectly still..._

Now, most people would freak out if they heard a weird noise in the forest, which is, admittedly, totally understandable. I, on the other hand, began to freak out due to the lack of noise - everything had gone silent at the same time, as if someone with a universal remote had pressed _mute_ all of a sudden.

And that was all it took. I bolted out of there so fast that I almost fell flat on my face. I raced back towards the direction of the campsite, running faster than I ever had before. "Guys!" I shouted, praying they were somewhere safe. I was convinced that I only had to make it to our campsite - that whatever this evil presence was, it wouldn't be able to follow me once I reached the familiar clearing. "Guys!" I shouted, almost hysterical. "SIMON! TORI! ANSWER ME DAMMIT!"

_Faster! It's gaining on you!_

I ran. Terrifying images began forming inside my head, because whatever it was that was chasing me, I was _sure _it wasn't human. I envisioned some demonic monstrosity – something that would haunt the lowest levels of hell and feed off the fear of young children. I imagined it using its hundreds of bulging eyes to watch me as I ran, laughing all the while at me for even _attempting _to outrun it.

I tried to push those thoughts out of my mind, forcing myself to think about Simon and Tori – that didn't help, though, because my terror had somehow managed to leach into those thoughts as well. All I could think about were the horrible things that could be happening to them: Simon and Tori being mauled by wild animals; Simon and Tori being attacked by flesh-eating monsters; Simon and Tori being captured by the Edison Group and being tortured for information… I tried to block out the horrendous mental images, but it seemed I had even less control over my thoughts than usual, and the pictures kept coming.

After almost ten minutes of adrenaline-fueled running for my life, I began to panic.

Well… panic _more_. I knew whatever it was, it was still behind me, chasing me... and I was pretty sure it was catching up. When I tried to block out the images, they started hitting me at double the speed. I kept going over the images in my head, flipping through them like they were slides in an everlasting slideshow. I kept picturing Simon and Tori being dragged out of the forest by the Edison Group, and the same thing was running through my mind, accompanying the pictures: _Now you've lost them both. Both of them, gone forever. Some leader you were supposed to protect them! _

I began to call their names, my voice quivering worse than the branches of the baby saplings in the wind. It was becoming increasingly more difficult to concentrate, and I knew I was on the verge of another panic attack – _where could they be? _– but I fought it, reminding myself that I needed to be strong. As I ventured deeper, the trees began to change from smooth and young to gnarled and ancient, giving the forest a creepy feel. _Great! Just what I needed: to wander into The Forbidden Forest. Where's Hagrid when you need 'em?_

The trees began to thin again, and I took it as my signal to speed up. _Almost there. Just a few hundred feet. Just keep going—_

My 'burst of speed' came too late – I'd already made it to the clearing, and my increase in speed caused me to crash into the wood piled at the edge of the fire pit.

I laid there on the ground for a moment, catching my breath. The evil presence was gone – the minute I'd entered the clearing, I'd felt the temperature change back to normal. I hadn't realized how cold I'd been, but I could feel the chill leaving me now, escaping through my skin and (I was pretty sure) causing my breath to become visible for a few seconds.

Once the warmth had returned to my hands and my breathing became normal again, I picked myself up off the ground and stood, wincing as I rested my weight on my legs. I was about to whisper a profanity under my breath to myself, then thought better of it_. After being chased through the forest by some sort of monster and actually _surviving_, do I have any right to complain about a few bruises on my legs? _

I slid the backpack off and looked around, hoping that Simon and Tori had returned during my absence and left me some sort of note or clue – something to tell me where they'd gone and when they'd come back, at least. Looking around, it was clear they hadn't: everything was in the exactly same position I'd left it in, save for the pile of firewood I'd just careened over.

_Why do you keep thinking that they're gunna show up? They've probably been gone for more than two hours at this point, and they've most likely been taken by the Edison Group yet again. Enough with the false hope already!_

_No. _I couldn't allow myself to believe they were gone. Ever. If all that was keeping me rooted to my sanity was the responsibility I felt for Simon and Tori's safety, giving up on them would surely be my undoing.

I shook my head to eradicate the thoughts clouding my mind. I had no time to argue with myself when my friends were possibly hurt somewhere out in the depths of the forest. I had to find them and do everything in my power to ensure that they remained safe, because that was what I _had _to do… it was what Derek had done, after all...

I gathered my courage and my things, slinging the backpack over my shoulder once again. I adjusted it once and looked up at the sun, sincerely hoping that its presence in the sky would keep me safe from the _thing _that was lurking in the forest intent on catching me…

I looked around the campsite one more time before slipping between the trees opposite the direction I'd came from.

I tried to keep up a steady pace, but the injuries I'd sustained – I kept telling myself they were just bruises – began to ache after a while. I was forced to slow down and figure out a way to walk without resting my weight on each leg for too long; I was cutting my speed in half, and the pain was still there, nagging at me insistently.

_What if this is all for nothing? Have you bothered considering the fact that they abandoned you, left you to fend for yourself?_

I shook my head, answering my inner voice for the second time. _No. They would never do that to me, especially not Simon. He'd never-_

_You killed his brother, didn't you? Seems like a pretty good reason to abandon someone…_

I wondered for a moment if this was what _actual _schizophrenics experienced; did they hear voices that nagged them, urged them to do things they would never normally do? I'd never bothered learning more about my 'diagnosis', writing it off as just another term for 'crazy'… was it possible to be both schizophrenic _and _a necromancer? Simon was a diabetic and a sorcerer, after all…

"Just _breathe_, Simon!"

I think my legs registered what I was hearing faster than my brain had – by the time I'd realized what I'd heard, I was already running.

"Simon! Tori! Where are you guys?"

I heard my name and followed the source of the sound.

"Are you guys all right?" I asked, still unable to see them.

I had to dodge a few more trees before I was able to clearly hear Tori's voice. I clenched my fist and sped up, calling their names as I stumbled through the last bit of forest that separated us.

After a few seconds, I finally caught a glimpse of them through the trees: they were both on their knees, crouched over something – I couldn't see what it was, but the sight of them like that propelled me forward somehow, and I cleared the last few dozen feet in less than a minute.

It wasn't what I expected, to say the least. There was no blood, no vicious wild animals… just Simon and Tori, both with their backs to me. It was odd, though – Tori's hand was on Simon's back, as if she was comforting him.

I stepped closer, immediately recognizing that something was wrong. "S-Simon?"

I stopped short once I was close enough, slowing down so as not to step in anything- there was vomit _everywhere_. I navigated my way to him carefully, then dropped down to my knees and rested a hand on his back as he retched again. He looked deathly pale, and nothing was coming out – I was pretty sure that there was nothing left in his stomach to vomit out anymore, and I wanted an explanation, but Tori didn't even look up. There was a moment where I couldn't help but feel a little grossed out, but I reminded myself that this was _Simon – _the only person I had left _-_ and that was all it took for the revulsion to disappear. I had no idea what to do, so I did what I could: I rubbed circles into his back like Tori had done for me, and whispered things like, "you'll be okay," and, "just breathe through your nose". He didn't say anything, but it seemed to be stopping: after a few minutes, the dry heaving had stopped completely and he was breathing relatively normally again.

"Is it over?" I whispered, bracing myself for another round. Tori was still looking down, waiting for the next wave to begin.

Simon nodded and closed his eyes before whispering hoarsely, "For now."

* * *

We left the place where the smell of vomit soured the air and found another place to rest, Simon leaning against a tree with his eyes closed while I tried to figure out what was going on. Tori had been silent the whole time, and Simon had told me he would explain in a few minutes, but I was impatient - I was running through a list of possible diseases, viruses, and illnesses in my head, trying to remember as much as I could of what I'd read in Lauren's medical books. I'd spent a good 3 days curled up with _Grey's Anatomy_ a few years earlier, knowing the information might come in handy one day… I looked at Tori, hoping she'd give me some sort of tip, but she appeared to be too engrossed in her nails to notice my searching gaze.

"Chloe, stop. You're gunna give yourself an aneurism," Simon said, finally opening his eyes. I studied him for the fifth time since finding him – his eyes were slightly bloodshot, and he looked pale, sick, and tired; if I was going by his voice, I'd venture a guess he felt worse than he looked. I knew now why they'd disappeared: Simon had been looking for me when he began to feel sick, and rather than return to the campsite, he'd tried to wait it out alone. Tori had gone searching for him, fearing the worst, and that was when she found him doubled over, vomiting violently.

He smiled at me - trying to get me to calm down, but it didn't help – I shook my head and crossed my arms, giving him a look that said, 'you'd better start talking'.

He sighed and ran a hand through his messy spikes. "Before I tell you anything, you have to promise not to freak out on me, okay?"

I raised an eyebrow defiantly. "Simon, I can freak out if I want, okay? There's obviously something wrong with you, and we need to-"

He took a deep breath and began to speak, cutting me off. "Okay, okay. I get it that you're worried, but it's not as bad as it looks! Long story short: I left the compound without enough meds, and now I'm-" He paused for a moment, "…well, you saw that back there."

I took a second to process what he was telling me. "But… you brought your medicine with you, right?"

"Yeah, but it's like this: I have to take a certain dose every time, and I didn't take enough with me to last until today…"

_Crap. _"So what you're saying is we have to find you some more medication soon, or else you'll-"

"-most likely slip into a coma caused by my 'elevated glucose levels'," he finished, his eyes on the ground like he was ashamed to admit he had a weakness. I pretended not to see the look on his face – just nodded. I knew what he was thinking about, because it was all _I _could think about: whatever had happened to him in the Edison Group's Headquarters had been caused by a lack of insulin in his system, and if we didn't hurry, he'd have to go through it again…

The conversation I'd had with the guard about Simon ran through my mind, filling in what Simon wasn't telling me… _"I don't know if I should be telling you this, kid, but… Simon's health hasn't been the greatest lately," _he'd whispered_. "After you saw him last time, he got so worked up that his blood sugar spiked dangerously. On top of all that, he forgot to take his needle. If Davidoff hadn't gone to check on him when he did… well, a few more minutes and your buddy would've slipped into a diabetic coma."_

So what I'd just seen – the vomiting, the dizziness, the pale skin – it was all just a glimpse of what could and _would _happen if we weren't able to get Simon his medication in time.

_A coma. He could end up in a coma, with no one but Tori and I to take care of him. _I tried to recall everything I knew about comas, but it wasn't very much – all I knew was that people couldn't breathe on their own when their bodies were in that condition, and usually required some sort of machine to act as replacement lungs…

_If we don't get him his meds, he's not gunna survive, _I realized. _We can't just waltz into a hospital and check him in!_ _And even if we wanted to, we'd never make it to one in time! He'll slip into a coma and die out here!_

I was beginning to panic again, my heart rate increasing as I zoned out, picturing the events that would transpire if we weren't able to get Simon what we needed. I don't know how long I was standing there, going through worst-case scenarios in my head, but Simon stayed quiet the whole time, giving me the time I needed to freak out. Tori was uncharacteristically quiet as well, but at that point I'd practically forgotten that she was there.

I closed my eyes for a moment to try and squelch the rush of images in my head; it didn't work, but I knew I needed to appear calm and collected if I was going to keep Simon from freaking out as well.

I looked up at the sound of my name. "Chloe, can I ask you something?" Tori's voice sounded strained, but after the night (and morning) we'd had, I knew it could have been a lot worse.

"Shoot."

"Why does this seem like the plot of a frigging horror movie? I mean, _common_! Mutant powers, fatal illnesses, an evil organization… and whatever the hell else we don't even _know _about!" She shook her head and smiled, and when she did, I could see how seriously stressed out she really was. "Think about it, Chloe: If our lives were a book or something, how messed up do you think the author would have to be?"

Simon and I locked eyes for a moment before exploding into a fit of laughter. _Leave it to Tori to kill the tension in a room._

"What?" she demanded, looking from my face to Simon's. When we didn't answer, she crossed her arms and huffed. "Go ahead! Laugh it up! You might as well, seeing as _Harry Puker_ over here is gunna be a vegetable soon!"

We both stopped then, and Simon shot Tori a look. _Leave it to Tori to depress everyone in 3 seconds or less._ "Thank you for that reminder, _Tori-buzz-kill_, but it's really not that big of a deal…"

This time I was the one giving him a _look_. "Simon, you just said yourself that if we couldn't get you your insulin, you'd-"

"Like I was trying to tell you before you started freaking out, Chloe, I know a place where there's enough insulin to last me a long, long time…"

Tori smacked the back of his head. "Enough suspense! In case you didn't notice, I just spent the last two hours watching you puke your intestines out! It would probably be in your best interest to tell us where the hell we need to go… preferably _before _I feel the need to slap you again," she snapped impatiently.

I watched them both, amazed. _Did what just happen actually happen, or is this all some messed up dream? Ten minutes ago she was watching him puke, and now they're dissing each other?_

Simon glared at Tori as he rubbed the back of his head. I could hear him cursing under his breath at her, using a variety of colourful adjectives. He took a deep breath, then: "My house, okay? Everything we need will be there."

He shot me a sad smile before sending another glare Tori's way. "There's no need to be so violent, you know. Diabetics bruise easily!"

* * *

I waited for him to tell us he was joking, but his face remained serious and I knew he was telling the truth.

_Please, please no. I can't go back there; not after everything that's happened…_

I bit my lip anxiously before saying anything. _He really wants us to go back THERE, where the memories of Derek are the strongest? Is he crazy?_

"Simon, I don't know about this… the Edison Group could be watching your house and the forest and-"

"Chloe…" he searched my face for a moment, "I know, trust me – I don't want to go back there any more than you do, but we have no choice in this case! We have less than 24 hours to get this stuff for me before something horrible happens, and we have no other options at this point, so I'm begging you here: _please_, do this for me."

I studied his face for a moment. He was wearing that sad smile, and I could see how scared he really was. _He's like me, _I realized. _If what that guard told me is true, than what Simon did in the Edison Group's Headquarters… he realized it was a mistake, and now he's fighting harder than ever._ I remembered how I'd felt afterward: it was as if I was waking up from the daze I'd been in, wondering what I could've possibly been thinking in the first place.

I closed my eyes and whispered, "We should grab some food while we're there."

He hugged me tightly, and I returned it, knowing the sinking feeling in my stomach wasn't a good sign. "Thank you, Chloe," he whispered, and I wondered what he was thanking me for – was it for agreeing to go, or for fighting ever instinct in my body that told me to stay away from that place?

Tori coughed obnoxiously beside us. "Uh, guys? I'd hate to break up this touching little scene, but unless we get going soon, I'm going Hannibal Lector on your asses."

* * *

**I hope you liked it, guys! Lemme know what you thought, and please please PLEASE review! I need my mojo back, and the only way to get it back is with reviews! Also, the next chapter is gunna be… well, I'm aiming for EPIC.**

**Anyways, please remember to check out **_**Speak, **_**and definitely don't forget to read **_**Open Door Policy **_**by my freaking AMAZING beta, burning! It's JacexClary, and the title is enough to get you excited, isn't it? ;) Also, if my everlasting adoration of you isn't enough to get you to review, there's always this: I'll be revealing some pretty big news when I answer my reviews, so make sure to ask me about it!**

**REVIEW!**


	24. Pressure II

Hey guys! It's been a few weeks (three, technically), but you forgive me, right? :)

Happy belated Thanksgiving to all my amazing Canadian readers! I thought I was gunna be updating that weekend, but apparently my family had an insane weekend planned. Any crazy stories you feel like sharing? :P

Anyways, I don't have very much to say this week except THANK YOU to everyone who reviewed and is awesome for doing so, and A HUGEEEE thank-you (and a jar of pickles, because they are her weakness) to **burning**! You were such a big part of the process of writing this story, and if you ever showed up outside my house asking for my Christmas decorations, I would give em up in a heartbeat! ;) (**BTW guys, go enter for a chance to win FIRELIGHT on burning's blog! www (dot) burningximpossiblyxbright (dot) blogspot (dot) com!** It's an international contest, so everyone can enter, and from what I've heard, FIRELIGHT is amazing :P Check it out!)

That's all for now! Enjoy the chapter guys!

* * *

**Disclaimer: Steph and Christina are animatedly discussing the 'bed intruder' situation in Lincoln Park, Alabama**.

Steph: *Confused*  
Wait, how does it go again?

Christina: *Sighs, 'cause this is like, the _fifth_ time*  
He's climbin' in yo window, snatchin' yo people up—

Steph: Stop! I don't get it!  
*Shakes head*  
How does he snatch people up? Wouldn't they notice? I mean, I'm sure they're not like Bella, who was completely oblivious to her little peeping-Tom situation…

Christina: *Rubs temples in frustration*  
You know what, Steph? Never mind, okay? He's not snatchin' ANYBODY up!  
*Shakes head*  
Just… go write another chapter or something. I need to go drown my sorrows.

Steph: *Shocked*  
But I thought… aren't you supposed to tell me that I don't own DP? That I suck at writing and that I'm destined to be 'forever alone' thanks to my weird reclusive habits?

Christina: Frankly, my sarcasm would be wasted on you.

Steph: But-!

Christina: Just get on with it already!

Steph: *Wide, puppy-dog-sadness eyes*  
Kay…

* * *

Pressure II

_It all comes down to this: make it or break it; win it or lose it.  
And trust me: when you lose it, you lose it all._

-Anonymous

* * *

Five minutes after Tori's remark, we were on our way.

We had guessed that the walk would take us approximately three hours, factoring in Simon's stops to rest. He was looking greener by the minute, and I was starting to get that familiar feeling in my stomach - the sense of impeding dread. Simon could downplay the situation as much as he wanted to make himself feel better, but I knew the truth: time was running out, _fast_. We had no time to lose, and we knew it.

No one said a word for the majority of the trip.

We stopped after half an hour so Simon could rest. He argued relentlessly, telling us he was fine, he wanted to keep going - but after ten minutes of nagging, he reluctantly agreed to sit for a few minutes. The trees at the side of the road provided us with cover - we'd exited the forest, but the road we were following was lined with relatively young-looking oak trees - and we ushered Simon deeper, just in case someone drove by and wondered what we were doing. He reminded us once more that we were overreacting before sinking down to the ground and letting out a sigh of relief. Simon closed his eyes and leaned back against the trunk of a tree. He looked so young with his eyes closed: 12 at the most, but even with his eyes closed, you could tell that he'd been through a lot.

I couldn't help but feel a surge of sadness, thinking about where our lives had taken us in the past few weeks - what had happened to my best friend? To _me_? Our old lives seemed so simple now, and I found myself reminiscing about the days when all we had to worry about was what kind of game to play.

I studied Simon's face again, catching Tori's eye beforehand. She has been watching him anxiously; biting her lip with such force that I was amazed it hadn't began to bleed yet. I knew why she was worried, of course: Simon looked deathly pale, and his eyes were shut tight - he either had a headache or felt dizzy, and neither of these things was a good sign.

"Are you okay?" I asked, my voice hoarse after not talking for so long.

"Yeah," he whispered, his eyes closed. "I just... need a minute," he said, his tone apologetic.

"Take all the time you need," Tori said, speaking for the first time since her Hannibal comment. "We'll be watching the road, all right?" Without waiting for an answer, she grabbed my arm, dragging me away from the cover of the trees and onto the side of the road.

She let go once she was sure we were far enough away not to be heard.

"He's-" she began.

"-getting worse. Fast," I finished. "I know, Tori, but what could I possibly do for him now? We have nothing to give him..." Like it or not, we were pretty much helpless: we had no choice but to stand back and watch Simon suffer until we could get him his medication.

She shook her head. "This doesn't make sense!" she hissed. "I had a friend who was diabetic, and even when she forgot to take her insulin after a big meal, it never got anywhere _near_ this bad so quickly!"

_It's because he was still weak after his last 'episode'_, I realized. _Two attacks within the span of 2 days? His body must be completely drained_.

I couldn't tell Tori that, though. "It's probably from all the stress," I lied. She nodded, accepting my explanation, and I felt a stab of guilt - Tori trusted me completely, and I'd done nothing but lie to her lately. She cared about Simon, too, which was harder to see than I liked to admit - she'd only known him for a few weeks, and I'd been his best friend for _years_.

_I should've been the one there comforting him_, I thought, remembering the way she'd been crouched down on the ground next to him, whispering comforting words. Had Tori filled my position of 'best friend' so quickly? How had I not noticed it happening? I knew I'd been distracted a lot lately, and maintaining my friendship with him hadn't exactly been the top thing on my list of priorities after Derek's death, but had Simon really gone and replaced me with _Tori_? I didn't think so – I knew I was probably overreacting, anyway. It takes a long time to build a relationship as strong as ours with a person, and Tori and Simon hadn't bonded _nearly _enough yet, unless…

I knew it was stupid to worry about something like that when all of our lives were in danger, but the mix of guilt and something else I was feeling - jealousy, maybe? - urged me forward and begged me to find out what had happened. I was an anal-retentive organized control freak at heart, and losing Simon would be my breaking point, end of story - like being thrown into a state of total chaos without a to-do list and a flow-chart.

I cleared my throat. "T-Tori, do you...is there something going on between you and Simon?" I asked, the memory of Simon asking me that same question flooding my mind:

_"Chloe?_

I'd blushed then, embarrassed by my lack of attention span and feeling guilty about where my mind had been at the time_. "Sorry about that, Simon. I just kinda zoned out there for a minute."_

_"It's alright. I was just gunna ask you something, but I don't know if-"_

_"No, no! You know you can ask me anything, Simon! What's the question?"_

_He looked around the room, refusing to meet my gaze. "I feel like a complete douche-bag for asking, and it's probably none of my business, but… is there something going on between you and Derek?_

_"No way!"_ I'd laughed so artificially that there was a bad taste in my mouth_ – _probably because he hadn't been very far from the truth._"Me and__Derek__? Are you serious, Simon?"_

_"I told you it was a stupid question,"_ he'd mumbled.

_"Trust me Simon, there is absolutely__nothing__going on between Derek and I,_" I'd told him.

_"I do trust you! It's just… you would tell me if there was, wouldn't you_?"

_"Definitely; you know I wouldn't hide something like that from you!"_

I'd lied to him then; of course there had been something going on between Derek and I. Simon had known it, too - known I'd lied to him. He'd followed Derek through the woods to my house and watched us talk for hours, realizing how deep our betrayal ran.

Add to that: the fact that Derek and I had fallen asleep together underneath our tree in my backyard, and you had a recipe for disaster.

_"Did you seriously think I wouldn't notice that you left home at 8 every day and didn't come home until past 3am?"_

I remembered Derek's silence – the way he'd just sat there and taken it, knowing I was there, aware of what was going on. It'd been my fault, but I'd let him take the blame for it all.

_"Did you think that I didn't know about how close you guys have become? I can see it every time I come to see Chloe – she doesn't even stop to say hi before asking about you_! _I kept telling myself that you would never do that, because you knew how I felt about her, and I thought you were a good brother. I told myself you were going for a run, or walking around town, or __something__; but then I followed you here one night, and you spent hours with her, just __talking, __like it was no big deal that you were betraying me!"_

"Where- why would you ask that?" Tori's voice broke through the rush of memories, bringing me back to the present.

"I..." I faltered for a moment, unsure of what I should tell her. I eventually decided something close to the truth would be best: "I can tell that you really care about him," I whispered, looking around anxiously in case Simon had gotten up and tried to find us. "Not many people would sit through puke-a-palooza to try and help someone they barely know..."

She bit her lip - again - before responding. "No! I don't like him, all right?" She paused for a moment, "Or at least, I don't think I do..." She said, trailing off. She took a deep breath and began to explain.

"With Simon, I don't feel like he's someone I could ever picture myself with. He's just so... familiar, ya know? I felt like I'd already known him for years when you introduced us," she admitted. "And I feel like... I feel like I have to protect him; like it's my job or something."

I nodded, reliving another conversation I'd almost forgotten about:

_"My dad told me. He used to be high up in the ranks,"_ Derek had explained; so many things had changed since (and because of) that night – it was hard to believe that it'd only been two months... _"He was a pretty big deal until he realized what they were doing was wrong. After that he left and joined up with the rebellion - which he's now in charge of – and went into hiding."_

"Maybe... Maybe you met when you were younger and forgot about it?" I ventured. "Your parents both worked for the Edison Group at one point, didn't they? Maybe they brought you both to work one day, and you-"

"-went to the Edison Group's twisted version of daycare together?" She finished, raising an eyebrow at me. "I think I would remember playing in the sandbox with him..." She shook her head. "That would make sense, but... I don't think that's it."

I was determined to help her figure it out. "Well then-"

"Guys?" Simon's voice sounded from the direction of the spot where we'd left him.

Tori and I locked eyes, communicating silently. _We'll discuss this later_.

"Coming, Simon!" I called, helping Tori to her feet. We brushed our jeans off and made our way back to the spot, the conversation we'd just had hovering in the air between us. I felt paranoid - like Simon might know we were talking about just by seeing the look on our faces – but reminded myself that even if he had, we hadn't been discussing anything _that _bad…

I should've remembered how observant he was.

"You guys look guilty," he said, smiling. He still looked green, but if he'd decided he was done resting, we weren't going to be able to convince him to stay any longer.

I racked my brain for something to say – I couldn't exactly tell him we were talking about him, after all.

"Well… I didn't want to tell you this, but Tori was practicing her spells on the forest creatures... I think she might've 'terminated' Fluffy, if you know what I mean."

"Fluffy?" he repeated, looking suspicious.

I shrugged. "He was just this rabbit we found. It's a shame, too – he had a wife, a couple of kids…"

Simon looked horrified. "Tori, please tell me she's joking," he said, eyes wide and hopeful.

Tori shrugged nonchalantly. "Sorry HP, but my lethal energy-bolts were getting a bit rusty, and Fluffy… well, he was in the wrong place at the right time." She smiled wickedly, flexing her fingers.

I heard him mumble something that sounded a lot like 'murderers' before telling us he was ready to get going again.

We started walking, but I hung back and let Tori and Simon walk together for a while so I could gather my thoughts; something was bothering me about the way Simon had just accepted our story about the rabbit.

_A few months ago, he would've known I was lying. He would've know that I would never let Tori hurt an innocent creature like that… what happened to the boy that knew me better than I knew myself?_

My inner voice supplied the answer.

_What something happened to the girl who trusted him with her secrets? The one who trusted him with her thoughts and her opinions and little bits and pieces of her heart? She broke his heart once, and now she's changed so much he doesn't know who she is anymore._

For once, I agreed whole-heartedly.

* * *

I rejoined Tori and Simon after a few minutes of walking behind them, falling into place next to Tori. We were flanking him – one of us on either side – and I remembered Tori's earlier confession: "_I feel like I have to protect him; like it's my job or something." _

Simon refused to take another break, and we spent the rest of the trip in complete silence. I wanted to do something, to cut the tension between us, but every time I opened my mouth to say something, I found myself closing it. I had no idea what I _could _say – I was keeping secrets from both of them, and it was like trying to avoid looking at the big pink elephant in the room. Needless to say, I knew it was probably a better idea to keep silent and let the words die on my lips than open my mouth and say something I would regret…

After another hour or so, the trees began to look familiar, and I ended my self-imposed vow of silence. "We're getting close, aren't we? I feel like I've been here before…"

Simon didn't say anything; he simply nodded, confirming my theory and sending my mind reeling with questions.

_I wonder what it'll be like, being there. Will it make me feel better, being in a place where he spent so much time? Or will it just make it hurt more? _I tried to picture Derek's house – tried to picture what it would feel like to be there, standing in his kitchen and gathering supplies – but I couldn't piece together an image, and it was too hard to think about for extended periods of time. I decided to try and keep my thoughts as far away from Derek as possible, because if I didn't, things were going to be a hundred times more difficult.

A thought struck me then: _what about MY house? Are Lauren and Andrew still looking for me? _I nibbled on the inside of my cheek as I considered the possibilities – _Did the Edison Group leave my note for them to find, or did they want me to seem like I didn't even care enough to leave a letter before disappearing? _I wondered. _Do they still have search parties out searching the forest? I really hope not, considering how cold it's been the past couple of days – those poor people must've frozen to death looking for me in this cold…_

An idea began forming in the back of my mind: _what if I were to sneak over to Lauren and Andrew's house and leave a letter or some kind of note telling them that I was safe?_ They needed to know I was all right so they wouldn't worry, after all, and it wasn't like the Edison Group would find out about it right away – they were having a hard enough time finding us.

_Unless they're still watching the house, dimwit._

I thought it over for a minute.

Considering the risk we were _already _taking just going back there, it probably wouldn't make a difference either way… besides, who would expect us to return home after the ordeal we'd been through? Home was last place any sane or rational person would go while running from the law (or in this case, a crazed group of scientists bent on world domination).

And if, for some reason, the Edison Group was still watching the house? I didn't consider the possibility for very long – Simon, Tori, and I had been in their custody for almost two months, so they really had no need to be watching our houses – they'd probably removed all of their guards the moment they'd captured (or re-captured) us.

It all made sense in my head, but that was probably because I was so keen on convincing myself that it would be okay to go back for a little while. The truth was, I was afraid.

Actually, _afraid _probably would have been the understatement of the century. I was _terrified._ And not only because of the very real chance that we would be captured by the Edison Group again, OR because of the fact that the cold feeling I'd had the entire trip – the sense that we were being watched by someone or _something_ – was getting stronger the closer we got to the house.

It was because we kept saying we were going 'home', but I knew that _home _couldn't possibly feel like home without _him_.

For almost seven years, 'home' had meant Derek, Simon, and I sitting for hours in my backyard, talking, joking, and fooling around. For the past couple of years, home had been the place where Derek and I could talk about everything and nothing until I finally managed to forget about everything that was going on around me and just _relax. _Home had been Simon's crooked smile and Derek's rumbling laugh – so rare that we always froze in place when we heard it, just to be sure. Home was NOT the cold, empty house I shared with Lauren and Andrew, and it _definitely _wasn't the bubble-gum-barf room I'd been inhabiting since Andrew and Lauren had adopted me.

'Home' had never been just a place; I'd always wondered how people could confuse a house for a home, because the distinction was so profound in my eyes. To me, 'home' was the people and the feelings and the memories that they shared – the bond that kept them together. Home was the place you could feel safe – where nothing could touch you, because you knew that you would always be warm and safe and loved inside its walls. Until my parent's accident, home had been where I knew I would always live happily with my parents and (eventually) a younger brother or a sister. Home used to be a place where I'd thought there were no secrets…

_Except there were secrets_, I recalled. My mother, and possibly my father as well, had known about the Edison Group and the supernatural community and everything else connected to this world, and they'd kept it all from me, as if it would've been better for me to learn about my powers when they began to destroy my life instead of being well-prepared and training to use them properly before they began to manifest themselves...

_Maybe they were going to tell me. Maybe they were planning to tell me on my birthday or something – either way, I'll never know now…_

After the accident, I'd sat in my bed in the orphanage night after night, praying that I would be rescued from the cold, institutionalized setting by people who had a home – not just any ol' house. I dreamed of a place with photos on the mantel and drawings on the fridge and stacks of photo albums stacked haphazardly in the family room. I thought my prayers had been answered when Andrew and Lauren had appeared, ready to adopt me, but after a few months of living with them, I'd realized the truth: their 'home' wasn't a home at all – it was a prop, something to show to anyone who bothered visiting. _See those pictures of us on the walls? We're just one big happy family!_

Looking back, I realized I couldn't put all the blame on my adoptive parents. They were just trying to make sure I had everything I needed, right? It probably hadn't helped the atmosphere of the house that I'd avoid them for days on end, dreading the moment when they'd try to strike up a conversation with me.

_Lauren and Andrew might have been absentee parents, but you weren't exactly perfect, either - you were a bad daughter. There's no use trying to deny it..._

"-there's no use trying to deny it!"

"What?" I came spinning back to reality, sure I'd heard wrong.

Tori studied my face anxiously for a moment before rearranging her features into a mischievous grin, so quickly I would've missed it if I'd blinked. She twirled a piece of hair around her finger before she spoke, not missing a beat. "Oh, I was just telling Simon that he should hide his stack of _Playboys _under his bed before we go in – to uphold his reputation, ya know? He wouldn't want us thinking he's one of _those _guys, now would he?"

I copied her grin, playing along. "Oh! You know, I _thought _I saw one of those sticking out of your bag once, Simon. I had no idea you were into that kinda stuff!"

"Guys, stop it. This is getting seriously weird." Simon chuckled nervously and grabbed the hair at the nape of his neck – one of his nervous habits - as if pulling it out would make us change the subject.

Tori rolled her eyes halfheartedly and shrugged. "I was getting bored anyway. Now, how far is it to your place, HP?"

"About a half a mile, I think… and don't call me that, Tori. It's getting old."

He was right. Glancing around quickly, I could almost make out the entrance to the forest where I'd followed the three boys back when I was 14 – back when I still had no idea what I was capable of. I winced at the memory, pushing it back down and burying it amidst other things I had no intention of bringing up ever again, like the night I'd watched Derek—

_Stop it. This isn't getting you anywhere._

I shook my head, trying to stave off the nervous energy I was feeling coursing through my veins. It was the fear of not knowing what was going to happen – the fear of the unknown, I guess. Who hasn't felt that rush when you do something you know you'll get in trouble for doing, or that weightlessness that comes with letting go for a while?

Not me, of course (imagine - someone who can raise zombies and control the dead getting drunk!), but I guessed that what I was feeling at that moment was pretty darn close to all that…

We walked the rest of the way in measurable silence – I figured that the nervousness had gotten to Simon and Tori as well, but I never asked – preferring instead to try and figure out a way to convince Simon and Tori to let me go back to my house for a few minutes, and to ponder the reason behind me never having set foot in the Bae's home.

After a few minutes of that, though, my mind began to wander again.

_I wonder what Derek's room is like…?_

I threw on the mental brakes before I could even begin to imagine the possibilities, and my inner voice was thrown into lecture mode.

_You have to stop this! Out of sight, out of mind, remember? You have to stop thinking about him, or else you're gunna end up right back on the floor with a sharp object in your hands, and this time Liz won't be around to save you!_

I forced myself to concentrate on other things; looking around, I realized we were getting closer and closer to Lauren and Andrew's – my stomach churned, thinking about how worried they'd probably been over my disappearance. It was then that I made my decision: I was going home again, no matter what.

I turned to Simon, intent on telling him, but something held me back: he was looking even sicker than he'd looked less than 20 minutes before, and I was sure my little announcement wasn't going to do anything but stress him out and make it worse. _I'll wait until we're done at Simon's, _I decided. _That way, Tori and Simon can come with me, and we can leave right after I do what I need to do._

I was becoming more anxious by the second, thanks to the ever-present little voice:

_This is going to go horribly, horribly wrong._

* * *

It took us another 15 minutes, but we eventually managed to reach the house.

I thought it was quite the achievement, considering Simon and Tori had gotten into a heated argument during the last stretch of the journey. I hadn't bothered taking the time to find out what they were fighting about/over, but whatever it was, it was bad enough to keep them from speaking to each other.

After taking a few seconds to study the house, I realized one thing: this house had _definitely_ been a home. The dark-brown bricks and the even darker-brown shutters and roof gave the place a cozy, cottage-y feel, and the Christmas lights (left over from previous years, I was sure) strung chaotically under the eavesdrops were missing quite a few bulbs. There were lawn gnomes scattered sporadically throughout the area of the lawn, and I had trouble containing the giggles that had somehow found their way up to my throat through all the butterflies in my stomach.

"Umm… are you guys ready to go in?" I asked, looking from Tori's face to Simon's. Simon was staring straight ahead at the house, completely silent except for the faint sound of his laboured breathing – I couldn't tell whether his silence was due to the fact that he was mad at Tori or because he was anxious to go in.

I was betting on the second option, because I knew Simon, and I knew myself, and I knew we were both terrified – no matter how cozy it looked from the outside, their house could never be a home to them again. Too many events had transpired since they'd shared this home, and one of the residents – one of the people that made the home what it was – was gone forever. There'd always be that missing link there, haunting them if they chose to return. I knew from experience – it would be better for them to cut their ties and start over.

_Hypocrite. Is that how you would describe talking to your deceased mother for years after her death? 'Cutting your ties and starting over?'_

"God, I'm so tired." Tori yawned into her hand and stretched, then cracked her knuckles menacingly. She turned to Simon. "Can we get this over with, or are you gunna make us stand out here all day?"

Simon rolled his eyes and strode forward without giving us so much as a warning. Tori and I had been waiting for some kind of signal from him to tell us when to approach the house, but apparently he didn't see a reason we'd need one – or he'd decided it'd be easier to act without thinking it over too much and giving himself the chance to change his mind.

We followed him to the door, where he bent down and picked up one of the gnomes. He flipped it over wordlessly and then – without warning – he swung his arm and brought it down on the side of the house. I froze the moment I realized what he was doing, but Tori was quicker than me – she pulled me back by the sleeve of my shirt and forced me to crouch down before the glass had even shattered.

And it _was _glass. I was confused for a moment, hearing the sound of glass breaking - everyone knows garden gnomes are made of the same ceramic materials as plates – but the sound was undeniable.

While I pondered the reason anyone would have a glass gnome in their front yard, and why, for that matter, Simon would want to smash said lawn ornament, Tori went into full freak-out mode.

"What in the _FUCK_ was _that_?" she shrieked, standing up again. She looked ready to bite his head off, and at that point, I was almost about to let her.

I saw Simon shrug, then, "I had to get the key," he explained, showing us the key-chain that had been concealed inside the gnome he'd just destroyed. I thought it was a clever idea – hiding the spare key in plain sight like that – but the retrieval process was a little too violent for my tastes.

Tori calmed down a little, but you could still practically see the smoke coming out of her ears. "And you couldn't have warned us beforehand? Would it really have been so hard to say, 'hey guys, I'm gunna go all badass Chuck Norris on this here lawn gnome, so watch out!'?"

I had to bite my lip to keep from laughing. It was such a contrast: on the one hand, we had a horrible situation that had led us to where we were now – desperate, alone, and scared – and on the other hand, we had Tori, helping us forget and keeping us sane. She always managed to add humor to the situation, and I was almost sure that without her around, Simon and I would have… well, I wasn't quite sure what we would've done, but I knew it wouldn't have been what we _needed _to do… how could we have? We were both so affected by Derek's death that neither of us was in any position to lead the other.

"Sorry…" Simon mumbled, his voice half-muffled by the wind. It was starting to pick up, contributing to the already frigid temperatures we'd been experiencing since the other night. He slid the key into the lock and pulled on the doorknob, simultaneously twisting the key so the door wouldn't stick. It swung open and he walked in, not bothering to look behind him to see if we were going in with him.

Tori and I exchanged an anxious look before following him inside.

* * *

The appearance of the outside of the house had made me expecting a cozy, cottage-style mishmash of old end tables and leather couches (or something along those lines; after all, it was a 'bachelor pad'…), but all we saw when we entered the foyer was a stack of boxes pushed up against a wood-paneled wall and a shabby old end table that'd been overturned. There were 2 hallways leading out from what must have been the living room, each with three doors placed down the length respectively. The walls (other than the wood-paneled one) were white, and the floor was made of faded oak.

There were no pictures on the walls, no photo albums stacked haphazardly in the corner, and no signs whatsoever that someone had ever lived here – let alone a _family_….

But I could feel him here, as if his presence was a part of the house itself. I felt something, like a little flashing light going off inside my brain, telling me: 'Derek was here! Derek was here! Derek! Derek!'

I didn't want that reaction - it made me feel hopeful, like he might walk through the door or something at any time. After all, no one ever really dies without leaving their presence somewhere - whether it be a park, a locker, or a house, we are affected by the places we go, and the places we go are - most times, almost unnoticeabley - affected by us as well.

_Derek was here once_, I told myself_. But he is never coming back_._ It's time to accept it._

And that was it.

I tried to focus on something else, but in a house as empty as this, there wasn't much that could capture my attention and hold it for very long. Simon was standing, still as a statue, in the entrance to the living room. His back was to us since we'd just entered behind him, but we'd made no move to approach him – we could tell, even from behind, that he needed to be left alone for a few minutes...

Except we didn't know if he _had _a few minutes; judging by his not-so-logical behavior outside, he was having trouble concentrating and getting his thoughts together. Simon needed to get to his insulin stash, fast, and judging by what we'd seen of the house already, we'd be lucky if the fridge had survived whatever natural disaster had hit the place.

I cleared my throat. "S-Simon? Aren't you—where's the insulin?" I finished, deciding it would be easier for me to grab it for him: I didn't want him falling down the stairs or anything in the state he was in.

He shook his head and seemed to snap out of it; he finally entered the living room, abruptly turning right and disappearing through a door. I guessed it was the kitchen – there seemed to be a lot of natural light coming from the open doorway, and I'd read somewhere that kitchens were designed to do that sort of thing.

I stepped into the living room, feeling like I was invading someone's privacy by doing so – I had never been in anyone's house without their permission before. I was about to follow Simon into the kitchen when Tori put her hand on my arm.

"I'll look after Simon," she said, her voice low. "While I do that, you can go get cleaned up," she suggested.

I looked at her for a few seconds before reluctantly agreeing – I could see she wanted to talk to him, and besides – I had things to do.

Important things which may or may not have required me to 'search for a bathroom'…

I watched her go, then walked over to the mouth of the closest hallway – the one on the right hand side, next to the kitchen. As much as I wanted to explore the house – which, for the sake of being completely honest, was not a lot of 'want' at all – I knew there were things I needed to find.

Like the book Derek had always been reading when we were younger, and Kit's files on the Edison Group.

Tori had no idea that I wanted either of these things; in fact, I was almost certain she knew nothing about the book and only knew that the files contained stuff about us – the 'specimens'. She didn't know that Derek had been studying and researching everything supernatural since before I'd even met him, and she most certainly didn't know that he kept notes on every single thing he read about.

I needed to find that stuff, no matter how hard it may be to read it – to see his handwriting on the page and hear his voice in the writing – because it would give us the advantage we needed and the knowledge we were doomed without.

I opened the first door on the right: a bathroom, nothing special about it other than the SpongeBob nightlight still plugged into the electrical outlet. I smiled a little – it screamed 'Simon!'… or a least a pint-sized Simon.

I closed the door and kept going.

The next door on the right was a bedroom: sparsely furnished, with only one side of the bed unmade. The furniture was plain – nothing fancy – and it had the air of neglect, as if it wasn't used very often. _This must be Kit's room._ I closed the door and turned around.

There was only one door on the left side, and I was sure that behind it, I'd find Derek's room.

I wasn't ready.

I took a few deep breathes, and - remembering Simon's method from earlier – pulled the door open and strode in.

It was all for nothing, because it wasn't his.

_Simon. _The drawings taped, pinned, and stick-tacked to the wall were all drawn by the same artist, and as much as Derek had loved his adoptive brother, I doubted very much that this was how Derek would want his room decorated… I left the room, realizing that I'd been searching in the wrong hall way all along.

On the left-hand-side, the doors were spaced more evenly: one door at the end of the hall, and one on each side. Inside the door on the right was yet another bathroom – Derek's; I was sure. There were towels stacked neatly on the counter, as if he was about to return from some other part of the house and put away his laundry…

I walked out and closed the door behind me. _No sense in having a nervous breakdown over a few towels_, I rationalized.

I wasn't prepared for the door on the left.

Inside was one of the most beautiful personal libraries I'd ever seen. There were shelves on each wall, each so full of books that they looked like they were about to collapse.

I gasped – I couldn't help it, really – it's what all book-lovers do when entering an amazing library. Ever seen _Beauty and the Beast_? If you have, you'll understand.

I wanted to go inside – to get lost among the thousands of books – but now that I'd ruled out 5 of the 6 possible doors, there was no reason to stall. Plus, if there was one thing I already knew about this library, it was that Derek has spent most of his time away from me in one of the chairs by the window. His presence would be strongest here of all places, and I wasn't sure I was ready to handle that yet, considering my almost-meltdown over a bathroom.

I left the library and went to stand in front of Derek's door.

_This is it_, I thought, hands shaking as I reached for the doorknob. I turned it slowly, taking one last deep breath before I pushed on the door and let it slowly swing open.

* * *

**A/N: Did you think I would actually end WITHOUT a cliffy?**

**Anyways, I hope you liked it! I have part 3 half typed and half imagined already, and I'm just itchin' to post it for you! Just 25 reviews and it's yours in less than a week, I swear!**

**Side note: Did you know they're combining all 3 DP books into one big book? It's out in Canada already, so pick it up if you don't have the books yet! (No, I was not paid to say that :P) PS: Does anyone have any idea why there's a key instead of Chloe's necklace on the cover? **

**HAPPY HALLOWEEN EVERYONE! Please remember to REVIEW!**


	25. Focus

**Hello m'dears! It's a long weekend, and I decided it was about time I actually typed up the chapter that was floating around inside my head (exams are coming; I have to make room). Hopefully it doesn't disappoint, since I've been planning this one for a while now :) **

**Not much to say this week except THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH for the reviews and love, and I hope you guys enjoy the next couple of chapters! Also, I feel the need to tell you I'm going to see the premier of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (WOOT WOOT!). Who else is going? Are you as excited as me (and Christina)? Cuz we can't wait!1!1!1!one!1 (I swear, she has me knitting her a slytherin scarf as we speak. No joke! If you wanna see my ravenclaw one, lemme know!)**

**And because I could never forget her awesome-ness, a gigatico shoutout goes out to burning for her AMAZING beta skills and her ability to talk people down from the ledge (seriously, you should consider it as a career choice!).**

**Ok, my nutella-and-peanut-butter fueled sugar-high is starting to wear off. On to the chapter!**

***Note: When someone says "Chlo", it's actually them using Chloe's nickname, NOT a typo!***

**Disclaimer: Steph and Christina are waiting in line to get into HP.**

**

* * *

**

Steph: And then I was like, "umm… you need to back up, creep. You're invading my personal space." And he was like, "Sorry, but you smell so good… like butterflies and rainbows… and flowers!" And then he winked at me! I thought I was going to barf!

Christina: *Shakes head*  
Steph, honey, it's time to face facts: you only attract creepy guys! That's why Simon went for me, and Derek went for you!

Steph: *Glares*  
Are you suggesting that Derek is creepy? CUZ HE'S NOT! HE'S NOT CREEPY!  
*Crosses arms angrily*  
He's just misunderstood, okay? HE'S MISUNDERSTOOD!

Christina: *Looks around in embarrassment because everyone's looking at the freak with the volume-control issues and the over-active tear-ducts (aka Steph)*  
Umm… you wanna tone it down? People are staring you know, and so help me, I will pretend not to know who you are!

Steph: I'm sorry! I'll be good!  
*Tries to pull herself together*

Christina: Okay, now, because we are in the process of disclaiming a chapter, I have to say something mean in like three point four seconds, alright? Can you be cool? Can you?

Steph: *Nods sadly*

Christina: Good.  
*Raises voice*  
AND THAT'S WHY YOU DON'T OWN DP, GOT IT?  
*Laughs obnoxiously*

Steph: *Bursts into tears and runs out of the theatre, but not before running face-first into a open door*

* * *

Focus

_"I'm not doing well. Life is actually pretty shit. And look at me, I have gone this whole page without using the "L" word once, so far. But looking at it objectively, realistically, I'd say that I still love you. And I'm kind of afraid I won't ever really stop."_

-_To Claire; from Sonny_

_

* * *

_

The room was nothing like what I'd pictured.

For one thing, he wasn't inside.

I don't know how long I stood there, frozen in the doorway, looking into the empty room. There had been a part of me hoping - no, _praying _- that he'd be there somehow, sitting at his desk, bent over a book or something... I knew it made no sense at all - I mean, I'd watched him get _shot_ - but there had been a little part of me holding on to the possibility that he might be there, alive and well, confused at what I was doing in his house when he'd never even showed me the way there.

Instead, when I opened the door, I found myself starring at a small, average-sized bedroom, sparsely furnished with a bed, a small desk and chair, and a reading lamp. There were no pictures on the walls, and there was nothing on the desk except the lamp and something brownish obscured by the stack of papers. The walls were white, and there wasn't a speck of dust or mess visible _anywhere_.

You know how people say the way you decorate your room says a lot about your personality? How the colour of your walls and the mess and the way you arrange the pictures of your friends describe your tastes and can reveal your inner thoughts to anyone who bothers deciphering them? Well, Simon's room had looked like it'd been hit with an explosion of him: pictures scattered everywhere, so many sketches hung up that the walls underneath couldn't be seen… but Derek's? There was nothing in this room that could even remotely remind me of him. Everything was just _blank_, like he'd been afraid to do leave something behind that could indicate he'd been here.

Like he'd been afraid to put down roots or get comfortable here.

_He was afraid to do anything because he knew he'd have to leave eventually. He could never be sure of how long he'd be around, because ... well, look what happened. He never knew what hit him._

I chocked back a sob, because, just like how I'd been sure of Simon's motives before, I was sure of Derek's. One look at this room and I knew what he'd never even revealed to me: he'd been walking on eggshells his entire life, subconsciously preparing for the day when he'd have to leave for good. The place was almost as bad as the cells in the Edison Group's HQ – devoid of any sense of home and just… cold. Very, very cold.

I took a deep breath and stepped over the threshold.

I crossed over to his bed and sat down carefully, making sure I supported my weight so that the springs wouldn't squeak and alert Simon and Tori of my whereabouts - they'd freak out if they knew what I was doing, because they knew it was the _last_ thing I should be doing in the state I was in. I gripped the end of the bed with both hands, breathing in through my nose slowly, trying to fight the increasing sense of panic. I felt like I was drowning again, but this time, I knew I wasn't going to find something under the black waves - I was wide awake, right smack in the middle of a nightmare.

_You can do this. You can do this_, I told myself, repeating the mantra a few times. _Focus. What are you here to do?  
_  
_The files_. I stood up and made my way over to the desk. There was a stack of papers and organizational files piled on top of each other, and a few were sticking out, as if they'd been re-stacked quickly. _That's weird_. I wasn't sure if I was over-thinking it, but those loose papers were so out of place in Derek's pristine room that I immediately grew suspicious. I lifted the piles off the desk and brought them over to the bed.

I began to flip through the pages, letting the rest of the world fall away for a moment. Most of the pages were in Derek's handwriting, and my heart would ache a little every time I read another word - I found myself obsessing over the curve of the b's and the way his t's never touched the bottom line - but I kept going, intent on finding out what Derek had been so keen on documenting and researching. I felt like I had to know; had to read every single piece of paper, front and back. I knew Derek had a reason to keep all of these meticulous notes, and I was pretty sure it had something to do with taking down the Edison Group.

I opened the first file folder. It was unmarked and not labeled, but just reading the first line of the first page told me what it contained: "_subject was genetically modified in-vitro, resulting in heightened supernatural abilities..."  
_  
I closed my eyes for a second. Everything in this file was about one of the 'experiments' - people like Simon, Tori, Derek, and I. Everything we could ever need to know was laid out in front of me, the secrets begging to be read. I hesitated for a few seconds; I knew we needed the information in these files, and I knew they could contain something that could tip the scales in our favour, but… inside, I was still debating whether or not I should keep going. We needed the information… but were we ready for it? Were we prepared to deal with the consequences of finding out things about ourselves even we didn't know? I pondered that for a second, weighing the pros and cons. _I could always give them to Tori and Simon to read_, I thought. _I don't even have to listen when they read them. I could tell them to keep it to themselves or something… _I had no doubt that they would honour my wishes, but something about finding the files in Derek's room – frankly, the fact that they were the only thing Derek had cared enough about to keep close – drew me to them and the knowledge contained within.

_No_, I decided finally. _It has to be me._

I skimmed the first few pages, looking for a name. Certain phrases caught my eye, and I couldn't help but shudder a few times as I read about what had been done to us: _some may think them cross-breeds; abominations.._. There was more. The report went into more detail, describing one of the many 'specimens': _subject 13 is the product of a union between a witch and a sorcerer, which usually results in stronger-than-average abilities. The mother of said child requested that the child be included in this experiment, against the advice of our scientists. The subject is currently under the supervision of her mother. _I stopped reading for a second, unable to believe what I'd just read. _What kind of mother would put her kid into this crazy experiment when she already has heightened abilities? _I shook my head and kept reading, deciding that she was probably one of those pageant moms that everyone's afraid of.

I kept reading, but it just kept getting worse._  
_  
There was one line that chilled me to the bone: _the subject is thought to have immeasurable powers, hindered only by the fact that she is unaware of the extent of her abilities. She is already a danger to us all and must be terminated if she cannot be controlled. This is our only option._

I found the subject's name on the very last page of the report.

Victoria Enright.

_Tori._

I dropped the file, hands trembling uncontrollably. _Tori's a half-witch, half-sorcerer crossbreed? Her dad's a sorcerer? Does she know already?_ A billion little questions flooded my mind, but I couldn't answer any of them myself. _Could Tori already know about her extraordinary biological make-up?_ I remembered her telling me she didn't know who her father was - she thought he had been normal; a human who walked out on her and her mother - but this was insane. How powerful could she possibly be, if being a 'half-breed' already elevated her powers? What I'd seen was probably nothing compared to what she could do, having magic on both sides in addition to being genetically modified…

I was so caught on the truth about Tori's parents that I didn't put all the pieces together – didn't realize what it all meant.

Then it hit me: these were Derek's files. He'd read them, gone through each, memorizing important facts. Which meant Derek had known – he'd known who Tori was and _what _she was before he'd even met her! It explained everything: his distrust of her, his barely-concealed hatred…

_His attitude towards her... he'd been afraid of what she could do to us, and of what the Edison Group was willing to do to get her back. He probably thought she was one of them too, just waiting for the right time to drag us back to headquarters._

I felt a chill up the length of my spine. _"She is already a danger to us all and must be terminated if she cannot be controlled. This is our only option."_ Had they been exaggerating? I didn't want to think of Tori as someone who could be a danger to us, but after reading this file… I didn't know _what _to think anymore._  
_  
I started flipping through pages like a madwoman, desperate to find more, but there was nothing more about Tori in the stack - it was all research done by Derek. There were maps with red lines drawn across countries, and news articles about wild animals attacking people in forest at night near New York City a few years ago, but nothing more about Tori. Nothing at all. It seemed like whoever had secured these files from the Edison Group had only managed to steal one or two pages from the file; I would have to investigate further on my own.

I kept flipping through the stack, stopping abruptly when I spotted Simon's name staring up at me from what looked like a page from a report like the one about Tori.

_Subject is the son of one of our most respected leaders, Christopher Bae. The child is afflicted with diabetes, and while he showed no signs of increased abilities, we believe our modifications are responsible for the child's contraction of this disease. However, if the experiment was indeed successful, then this is a small price to pay. In this case, the ends justify the means._

There was more, but it wasn't anything I didn't know already: it talked about how Simon seemed like a normal, well adjusted kid, and that the Edison Group was confident that his powers would manifest themselves when he turned 13. There was nothing about Simon's progress after the age of seven - _that was when Kit disappeared with Simon and Derek_, I realized. _These files… these things are almost ten years old! These must be the originals… or one of the first copies, at least. Like our unofficial birth certificates or something._

I put down the report about Simon and kept looking, sifting through the piles at top speed.

Ten minutes later, I'd flipped through more than half the entire stack without finding so much as a scrap of paper about myself. I had, however, found something about a 'Rachelle', who I was sure was Rae - the girl we'd met on the street. She'd been the one with us that night - the one who'd given us up to the Edison Group…

For some reason, I found myself remembering the way her eyes had looked as she stared into the flame of the lighter. _If I hadn't seen that… would I still have stopped to talk to her? _I thought about it, feeling the guilt weighing me down more than ever. _If I hadn't talked to her, we would have never brought her back to the house with us, and she would never have- _I looked up, trying to blink away the tears and clear my head_. Focus. Focus_! _This is no time for that! There's no time to break down now!  
_  
That was when I saw it, laying there on the desk like it'd just been knocked over: a small brown wolf figurine.

I stood up slowly, and my vision tunneled - all I could see was the little statue, and I forgot all about the files for a moment. I walked over to the desk slowly, afraid for some reason that if I moved too fast, the little wolf would disappear forever. I had to get near it – had to hold it after so long. I couldn't believe what I was seeing; it wasn't possible. Not after so long…

I picked it up tentatively, feeling the cold, sculpted figure in my hands. I stroked it with the very tips of my fingers, trying to make sure that it was really, truly there, because I was having trouble believing it had reappeared after all these years…

It was the figurine I'd given Derek the year he'd finally told me he was a werewolf.

Looking back, it seemed like some sort of cruel joke on my part: it was the only thing I'd ever given Derek, and it reminded him of everything he hated about himself - everything he didn't want to be. He'd been so afraid of what he might become for so many years, and now... Well, he needn't have worried, should he?

I stopped fighting the tears and let them flow freely.

This wolf was the only thing he had put in his room. It was the only thing he had felt was important enough to keep in his room other than the files, and I was pretty sure I knew why: the first reason (I hoped) was because it was from someone he loved. The second reason: because it was a constant reminder of why he couldn't, _shouldn't _love her. He _was _a werewolf – something I never seemed to remember. I never thought of him that way. As "_Derek the werewolf". _He had always just been Derek to me.

I was reminded of the conversation we'd had a few days after he'd appeared on my porch:

_"You know, I bet you could've taken them if you'd hurried up and grown that tail already,_" I'd teased, trying to get his mind off finding Simon and his dad. "_I bet you could've taken them with one paw tied behind your back!"_

He hadn't said anything, and we'd lapsed into an awkward silence for a few moments. Finally, I asked the question that'd been nagging me for so long.

_"Why do you think you haven't Changed yet?_"

He'd shrugged - probably to buy himself some time to come up with something, since he'd _already_ _known _about the genetic modifications the Edison Group had done on us. _"Everyone's different, I guess... to be honest with you, I'm glad I haven't - I'm not in any rush, Chlo, and it's not like it's something to look forward to."_

_"But... You don't want your powers?"_ I'd asked, confused. I knew my powers were nothing to get excited about - they were more of a curse than anything else - but I didn't understand what reason Derek could have for not wanting his… I, personally, thought turning into a wolf would be pretty cool.

I tried again. "_Aren't you curious about your abilities at all?"_

He'd shaken his head and smiled a sad smile. _"It's not that simple... It's all in the luck of the draw, ya know? I have no idea who my father was, and non-Pack wolves have a higher chance of losing control and going after people they lo- care about and becoming like-"_

I'd grabbed his hand to silence him. "_Stop worrying, Derek! You'll be fine! And if you try to take a bite outta me… well, I could always put a muzzle on you or something_." I'd winked, and he'd laughed, but I'd known his heart wasn't in it.

I snapped back to reality, angry with myself - _he'd been afraid of putting down roots and terrified of what he'd become, and I gave him this stupid wolf statue to remind him of all that? What the hell is wrong with me? _

I gripped the statue tighter and sat down on the bed again. _The only thing I ever gave him was this stupid wolf. The only things he had in his room were those files and this stupid little statue. He thought it was important, that he should keep it close…_

Then, before I realized what I was doing, I threw it - more like whipped it, actually - against the wall. It shattered into a billion pieces, and I put my hands in front of my face to protect my eyes from flying debris. I lowered my hands once I was sure the dust had settled, resting my head in my hands as the tears began to come faster and faster, trying to beat each other out. I could hear Tori and Simon's voices coming from the kitchen, but I didn't answer - they'd find me eventually.

"CHLOE? WHAT'S GOING ON?"

"CHLOE?"

I heard the sound of slamming doors and hurried footsteps, but they became quiet after a while - they'd realized where I was.

The door creaked open slowly, and I heard an intake of breath from Tori. In my head, I knew what she must be thinking: that I was about to explode or something, the way I'd acted before. She was probably cursing herself for every letting me wander off, or quite possibly trying to come up with a way to calm me down.

You know that state, where everything is wrong and you feel like your entire life is falling apart? I'd gotten used to that state – hell, I was almost _comfortable _in that state – but how I felt now was like someone had amplified it one hundred thousand times and set off some sort of atomic bomb. I was now in that place where you start to cry and you can't stop no matter how hard you try, and you keep asking yourself, 'what's the point'? because your mind goes into this deep philosophical thought process, and you go on these everlasting rants that completely disregard the laws of punctuation and no matter what you think about, it somehow always leads you back to the same spot you started: your life is going to shit, and all you have to look forward to is the fact that it might (quite possibly, in my case) be over soon. And then, when you try to figure out why you feel this way, or try to convince yourself that everything happens for a reason, we all have a purpose, etc… it doesn't comfort you. This method fails to work every time. _Every time, _because if people base their lives on the principle that they should have some sort of point or meaning, then all they'll be living for is the knowledge that they must eventually fulfill that purpose; do whatever needs to be done. And that would be fine and dandy, were it not for a little problem: no one has ever been able to prove that there is, in fact, a point to all of it.

_That's because there is no point. End of story_.

So what were we doing here? What were we you living for? What are _any _of us living for, for that matter? We were of the few people on Earth who already knew their purpose - to help the Edison Group destroy any resistance and dominate the supernatural community – so why weren't we doing it? Why weren't we jumping at the chance to? Why were we fighting our 'destinies'?

A few seconds later I felt the bed sink on either side of me, but I didn't react – I was already thinking about nothing and everything; too many things to mention and not enough to count for much.

"Chloe?" Tori put her hand on my back, but Simon didn't move or say a word. I could hear him breathing softly next to me, which was a small comfort – he'd gotten to his insulin and given himself the correct dose. We were in the clear again, ready to set out.

I didn't answer, and I heard Tori curse softly under her breath – I guessed she was looking around the room, assessing both the amount of damage I'd caused and the situation. Then, suddenly, she stood up, and I heard the door close after her footsteps receded.

She'd left me alone in Derek's room with Simon.

This realization was enough to clear my mind for a few seconds, bringing me back from whatever part of my mind those depressing thoughts had crawled out of. I didn't dare move, though, just in case - even though the amount of tears had diminished, I didn't want Simon to see how much of a mess I was. _I'm the 'leader'. I promised I'd get this under control, and what did I do? They let me wander off for a few minutes and I manage to have a full-blown meltdown! _I thought bitterly, attempting to pull myself back together. I took a few deep breaths and ran a hand through my hair, hoping to make myself look a little bit _less_ insane.

Eventually I gave up and rested my head in my hands again, continuing my deep breathing. It was quiet for a while, but then Simon cleared his throat quickly and mumbled, "I guess you found his room, huh?"

I lifted my head up and looked at him in my peripheral, then slowly straightened up and looked away.

Simon continued to speak in a calm, quiet voice. "You know, he _hated_ it in here," he said, laughing nervously for a second before he let it die out. "He liked the library more; did you see the library? It's just down the hall, you know…"

"It's empty, Simon," I whispered, voice hoarse.

"The library? Are you sure? 'Cause that was the one room other than the bedrooms that we didn't pack up before, so it should still-"

"Not the library!" I hissed. "This room! It's completely empty, Simon! Empty! There was nothing here except the files and that damned wolf!" I saw him recoil – I hadn't realized I'd been yelling, but since I was already on a roll…

"None of this makes sense!" I cried. To be truthful, it'd been a long night, devoid of sleep, so there wasn't much that would've made sense had it been a normal day…

"What kind of kid has no worldly possessions? What kind of kid doesn't have some sort of security blanket or favourite toy or _something_? Your room is where your whole life is, and he didn't even have piggy bank!" I knew I'd stopped making sense a while ago, but I couldn't stop. I knew I should be asking him about the files, or planning our next move like the good leader I was trying to be, but… I just. Couldn't. Stop. In fact, I was somewhere between hysteria and complete mental breakdown. "And where are the pictures, Simon? Where are the damned pictures?"

I was crying again, but Simon had pulled me into a hug, so my tears only stained his shirt. I tried to pull back – he was probably terrified of me at that point – but he held me tightly, not letting go at all. I gave up after a few seconds and let myself go limp and cry a little more – before whispering that it was okay to let go of me. I don't know how long I cried, but it felt like only a few seconds to me. I was sure time had passed more quickly – maybe twenty minutes or so had elapsed already? – but there was no way to tell where we were.

"Are you sure?" he asked, arms still around me. I ensured him I was, and he let go slowly, as if any sudden movement could set me off.

I leaned back and laid down so that my back was flat on the bed while my legs hung off the sides. "I'm sorry about that," I said, trying to calm myself down a little more and prove that I wasn't insane. "I don't know why I did that; I just came to find the files…"

He raised an eyebrow and shook his head disappointedly. "Don't gimme that, Chlo – I know you better than that. You wanted to see his room, didn't you?"

I closed my eyes in reply. When I reopened them, he shook his head sadly and looked away.

I watched him study the files out of the corner of his eye for a few seconds, but he didn't say a word about them – he was just looking for a distraction, something to look at while he waited for me to pull it together again. He knew I had appointed myself the leader of our trio, and he was letting me keep the charade going.

"How do you do it?" I asked, breaking the silence. "How can you hold it together like that, being in here right now?"

"Delayed reaction," he said, the same sad smile on his face. "Probably the adrenalin or something; later, when it all sinks in, I'll probably be in even worse a state than you were just now…" he admitted, trailing off.

I shook my head. _Delayed reaction my ass. You're feeling it all now; the only difference is you're forcing it all down because you can't deal with it yet._

I wiped my eyes with the back of my hand and exhaled shakily, adding in a nervous little laugh for Simon's benefit – I needed him to see I was alright, or he and Tori would be making decisions without me more often than they already were.

"I'm not in a 'state'! I'm completely and totally okay! I just had a little-" I caught myself before saying 'lapse in sanity' and tried something else. "The freaky mood-swings stop here, I swear."

A nod. His eyes were distant, and he was intently focused on the patch of duvet in front of him – he was avoiding my gaze again.

He looked up after a few seconds. There was something in his eyes that kept me from asking what was wrong, and when he spoke, his tone had shifted as well. "Can I… can I tell you something?" he whispered. I nodded – it seemed like the only thing _to _do.

"I know you're not okay, all right? I know. No matter how much you try to hide it, I can see it. It's written all over your face. And I know you're trying to hide it from us, but I can tell. And it's cool, you know? Crying for a few hours one night isn't gunna make you feel better, and neither is crying every night for the next couple of years. We have to learn to deal with it, make it a part of our lives, and keep going. We have to keep going, or else… or else …"

He took a deep breath. "When we were in the compound, I tried to—to-"

I sat up slowly and touched his hand comfortingly. "You don't have to try and make me feel better. I'll be fine soon."

"Yes, I do, Chloe. You and Tori… you guys have done so much for me, and you deserve to know _why _you had to do so much, ya know? I'm not usually so high-maintenance!" he chuckled, obviously trying to lighten the mood.

Except I knew what he was trying to tell me - he was trying to tell me what had happened to him in the Edison Group's headquarters, and there is absolutely _no way_ to lighten the mood during _that _conversation.

"Look, I just want you to know that it's okay to not feel okay. It really is! Because you know what? I don't feel better either – neither does Tori, for that matter! – but we have to keep going and keep our heads up, or..."

Another deep breath, and he spoke. "… or you could end up like me," he said, saying it all so fast that it sounding like a single syllable. "You could end up doing something so completely stupid and dangerous that you never forgive yourself."

He locked eyes with me. "When we were in the compound, I stopped taking my insulin. I stopped caring, because I'd heard about Derek and I didn't know whether or not I could trust you, and… I just _gave up._ I just stopped taking my meds.

"After about a day I felt so sick that I couldn't focus, but even then I still didn't take my meds."

I put my hand over his, trying to reassure him. _Imagine what it's like, trying to tell your best friend that you attempted suicide. Imagine how hard this is for him. He has no idea how you'll react, but he's still risking it._

"Simon, you don't have to keep going. I understand-"

He looked so far away as he said, "You don't understand! I was being selfish and only thinking of myself! I wanted to die, Chlo, and I didn't care that it might hurt you or even Tori. I just … couldn't take it anymore. I was like I was unraveling a little more every day, and then…"

He pulled his hand out from underneath mine. "I wanted to die; I really, really did. I thought I could make it happen right there and then – just end it. I probably would have, too, if Davidoff hadn't come in to check on me."

"Simon, I-" I wanted to tell him that it was all right, that I _did _understand; I wanted to tell him that what I'd almost done when I was at my lowest and make him feel better about this, wanted to tell him that I'd been just as selfish – just as desperate. I wanted to tell him everything… but he cut me off before I could get a single word out.

"I'm okay now," he said, meeting my eyes again. "I'm trying, and every time it gets difficult, I think of Derek, and how pissed he would be at me if he ever found what I did…" he smiled slightly – a small twitch of the lips that I would've missed if I blinked.

He stood up and inched closer to the door. "And _that's_ how I'm in here right now," he admitted. "Because I know my brother, and I know he hated this room – he said it reminded him of the place he grew up or something. His _real_ room was the library, Chlo. It was the place you could always find him…" He smiled again, but it didn't touch his eyes. "Well, except for when he was with you."

I stood up too. My head was spinning: part of me was still stuck trying to figure out how to tell Simon about what I'd almost done, and the other part of me wanted to forget it completely. _He told you, so you should man up and tell him! No, he doesn't need to know! He'll just get worried!_

"Ready to go?" he asked, his tone considerably more cheerful.

"Simon, wait. I wanted to-"

"I know; you want to go home, don't you?" he said knowingly. "But you're worried, right?"

I nodded, defeated – if the Fates didn't want me to tell him, then I should probably keep it to myself. Don't get me wrong – I felt horrible, letting him think he was the only one who had ever hit rock bottom – but I knew that someday, when I was ready, I'd be able to tell him, and he'd understand. _Someday soon._

"Knew it! Well, don't worry - I think it's worth the risk, since we need to get some food and stuff. There's nothing here except peanut butter, lumpy milk, and an old jar of pickles!" I made a face and tried to smile, because that was what you did when people were embarrassed and tried to change the subject.

Tori appeared in the doorway, her face a mask of calm. She glanced at Simon for a moment, and they shared a _look_ as some silent message passed between them.

He went to stand at the door. "Anyways, Chloe, we're leaving soon… I already showered and everything, and Tori said she'll use Der—the other bathroom, so you can take your time, okay?" He left the room for a second and came back holding a few towels. He handed me a couple and sat down again, catching Tori's eye as he did so. I knew what that meant: "_please go so we can talk. Thanks!" _They were obviously keen to get rid of me again, and I _did _want a shower… I nodded, and they both left. I made my way back to the bathroom on the opposite end of the house, reminding myself to tell Tori and Simon about what I'd read when I was done.

I removed my dirty clothes and folded them, placing them on top of the toilet seat cover in a neat little pile. I turned on the water, waited a few seconds for it to heat up, then stepped under the spray, gasping a little the moment I felt it hit my face. It felt like it'd been years since I'd been clean, and the amount of dirt I managed to wash out of my hair didn't exactly help to reassure me. It'd only been two days, but in those two days I'd found out more than enough to make me want to forget – more than enough to make me wish I could just erase it all from my mind and start over.

I scrubbed my arms until they were raw and throbbing; I was trying to clean off the past few weeks – trying to get rid of the memories and the sounds and the smells of it all. I scrubbed and I scrubbed and I scrubbed until even my palms were raw, but even that didn't work – I could feel the secrets and the lies and the hate crawling around on my skin like hundreds of teeny tiny spiders. I gave up after a while and shut off the water, examining the damage: the skin on my shoulders was bright red and angry-looking, and just touching it was torture.

_Great. Just great._

I got out and dried off, wincing as the towel touched my shoulder. I mentally cursed my own stupidity as I got dressed, pulling on my dirty clothes slowly as an idea began to form in my head. I left the bathroom and returned to Derek's room. My backpack was lying on the floor where I'd left it. I picked it up and crossed over to the bed, unzipping it as silently as I could.

I grabbed the stack of files I'd already read and placed them inside, careful to remove the page about Tori. I folded in into quarters and shoved it inside my pocket. _She doesn't need to know yet. Once this is over, I'll tell her, but for now… she needs to be focused. We all do._

I picked up the small pile of papers I _hadn't read _and read a few more. There were only about 10 pages left, and I figured I'd read them while I waited for Tori to finish up in the shower. The first few were just more of the same – maps with lines crisscrossing the country, news articles, and other things that I would've spent more time on if I hadn't been trying to avoid thinking about Derek. I kept flipping until something caught my eye: my own name.

My hands were shaking again, and I forced myself to stop and take a deep breath – it wasn't like it was a surprise, finding out I'd been genetically modified… but what if my file was like Tori's? What if I read something that changed everything I knew about myself and my life?

_What could change your life more than your best friend dying trying to save you?_

_Point taken._

I began to read.

_This specimen was a rare find; an honour for our little group. Necromancers are an 'endangered species', if you will, and it was certainly lucky that we happen to have a family living nearby..._

_The modifications were done in-vitro, and the child was brought in for monitoring every few months until the age of 5 or so. It was observed that the mother and father of the child were becoming anxious to leave the study, but when confronted, they refused to leave the child behind. They reluctantly agreed to allow us to continue our study, but disappeared a few weeks later, somehow managing to do so under the watch of thirty of our best-trained half-demon guards._

_This child must be found, as she is the deciding factor in this war. She will be found and trained, and our army will become truly unstoppable. _

Then, written in the margin: _who could win a fight against dead man? A thousand of the same? We will crush the resistance when she is found._

The room was spinning. I felt like was going to puke and faint all at once. _They want me to raise an army of zombies to help them take over permanently? Is that even possible? Could I ever do such a thing?_

I tried to calm myself down, telling myself that the most I had ever raised was a few rabbits… it was too late. The thought had planted itself inside my head - burrowed deep inside and attached itself to my brain. There was no getting rid of it now.

_My God. If they think I can do this, then…_

I kept reading, trying to distract myself from the screaming going on inside my skull. I skipped over the part about physical description and focused on the part about supervision and monitoring.

_Subject was under the supervision of her parents and the Edison Group before they fled. Our agents are currently attempting to locate them and remove the child from their care. She MUST be retrieved. The ends will justify the means._

The ends will justify the means.

And even though I'd been suspecting it since I'd found out about the Edison Group – hell, Davidoff had practically told me himself – I felt myself losing it. _They killed my parents. They tracked us down and caused that accident, knowing I'd be the only survivor. They were probably watching from the side of the road while I cried over my parent's dead bodies._

The tears were obscuring my vision, but I kept reading.

_Subject will be under constant supervision of one of our agents once she is found. _

I was shaking so bad that I couldn't read the words on the page_. _One of their agents? Did that mean that there had been someone watching me since the night of my parents' deaths? I suddenly felt cold again, despite the scalding-hot shower I'd just taken.

I turned the page, desperate to find out more.

There was nothing else about me.

I flipped through the last few pages, desperate for another scrap of information, but there was nothing else. I shoved the rest of the papers into my backpack angrily, then zipped it up and put it on.

"CHLOE? ARE YOU READY?" Tori called, finally done with her shower.

"COMING!" I called back. I looked around one last time and crossed over to the door. I was about to exit the room for good when I saw the closet door out of the corner of my eye.

I stopped, turned around, and pulled it open. There was nothing special about it; no monsters jumped out screaming 'BOO!', and nothing seemed out of the ordinary… I pulled out a sweater – one of the ones he'd worn regularly – and hugged it for a second before folding it neatly, unzipping my backpack, and stuffing it inside.

I straightened up and walked out of the room, weighed down with a backpack (and a head) full of secrets.

The door slammed shut behind me.

* * *

**A/N: I hope you liked it! I realize not much happened in this chapter, but it was necessary, ya know? **

**Shoutouts to everyone who reviewed last chapter! I know I haven't replied to everyone's reviews, but I appreciate every single one! Next chapter will have a massive shoutout by names, kay? :)**

**Also, if anyone's read any good books lately, let me know! I need ideas for my holiday wish list, and I'm planning on raiding chapters this weekend. I'll even give you a recommendation from me (and burning, since she gave it 5 stars on Goodreads): Amy & Roger's Epic Detour. It is quite lovely, so check it out! **

**Leave me some reviews please, darlings! I'd love to hear some theories about what you thinks gunna happen next! MINI CONTEST: the person who guesses the closest gets to read pre-read the next few chapters! Sound good? **

**REVIEW!**


	26. Deceit

Why hello there! It's been quite a while, hasn't it? *Smiles innocently because she knows everyone is glaring at her through their computers*

I know I've been missing in action for a while now, and I'd like to apologize. I made the mistake of taking all the hardest courses at once this term, and for the past few months it's been way too much for me to handle. On top of all that, I've been tutoring and babysitting and all sorts of things like that… let's just say it hasn't been the greatest few months for me. Anyways, I'm here now (yay!) and ready to crank out a few chapters. I also have a one-shot in the works (par my Christmas tradition), and I currently have the flu, so that means even more time to write! :) Thanks for being so understanding, guys. LOVE Y'ALL!

Shoutouts! I know it's been a while guys, but you've been so supportive and just plain awesome that I'm gunna have to make this thing a couple hundred sentences long :P Shoutouts go out to: **3579JM**, **murrey-2012**, **Kelsey-Short**, **vampiremom1221**, **DreamDark**, **jenaca**, **doarfthXx**, , **Senslibly-Insane**, **Alondra31**, **cowgirl137**, **suzi1811**, **moon-called-princess**, **Autumn O'Shea Swan**, **Bookninja15**, **Tabbs** (your message the other day inspired me to get my butt to the computer and crank out some chapters! Thanks you so much for your love and support! *virtual hugs*), **Greeniron**, **DOfD, LittleMissDreamer7**, **KissedbyaDemon**, , **Neko Konojo**, **thecoolestloseryouknow, piercingemeralds2**, **bookfreak9123 **(thanks for the ego boost! :P), **c.a.a** (of course! Where would I be without her, I ask you?), and OF COURSE my amazing beta **burning**, who has much better things to do but still gives up her time to read my unedited monstrosities anyway. *Sends her virtual hugs and virtual pickles* Go on wit yo bad selves! ;)

That's it for now, but I'll probably remember everything by the end, so make sure you read my closing author's note! :D

* * *

**Disclaimer: Christina is guilt-tripping Steph about her lack of updates lately.**

Christina: How long's it been since you updated? A month? Two?

Steph: *Ashamed of herself*  
Around 2, I guess… but I really didn't mean to make everyone wait so long, it's just that school's been-

Christina: I don't want your excuses, missy! I don't care if you're sick and I don't care that you don't own the series! Get back to that computer and WRITE, DAMMIT!

Steph: *Confused because Christina is usually the one who tells her to _stop_ writing and take a break*

But-!

Christina: NO BUTS!

*Points to the door*  
GO!

Steph: *Nods sadly and leaves*

Christina: *Mission Impossible sequence to check that Steph's gone*  
Good. She's gone.  
*Wipes forehead in relief*  
Finally! I thought she'd never leave!  
*Proceeds to search Steph's room for her Christmas present*

* * *

Deceit

_Tragedy is restful: and the reason is that hope, that foul, deceitful thing, has no part in it._

-Jean Anouilh

* * *

We combed the entire house, searching for things that could be useful to us on the journey ahead. We kept quiet the majority of the time, holding up items and consulting with each other about items we were unsure about. In the end, we found a few things, but nothing that we couldn't live without – a rusty pocketknife, a GPS – so we took what we could fit in our backpacks and left behind anything that couldn't. Then, ten minutes later, we just… left. No dramatic exits; no time spent wandering around remorsefully, wondering if we'd ever return – neither of us wanted to ever set foot inside again anyway – we simply walked out the door and never looked back.

I'd been expecting to feel something substantial when we left, but all I felt was relief. We were finally out and on the road again, and even if we had no idea where we were going, we knew it was better than the alternative – being caged like animals, told when to eat and when to sleep by people who saw us as nothing more than science experiments gone awry… I slipped my hand into my pocket to make sure Tori's file was still there and breathed a sigh of relief when I felt the familiar material against my fingertips – I had to make sure that Tori didn't find out until the time was right, or everything we did in order to escape the Edison Group's clutches would be in vain.

We decided to cut through the forest that connected Simon's and my house. He assured me that it would be faster that way, and we wouldn't be as exposed as we would if we took the main road, but I still felt uneasy about the whole thing. I'd agreed reluctantly, even though every part of me was screaming "NO!" – that forest was the first place I thought of when I thought of Derek. It'd been _our _place – the place we knew we could always find one another – and I knew I wasn't ready to go back there again; I'd probably never be ready. I knew it was a bad idea, but I'd agreed anyway - partly because I didn't want to argue, and partly because there was still a stubborn glimmer of hope inside me, telling me that all I had to do was look for him and he'd appear. I hated to admit it, but I still felt a pull towards the forest… I felt like I'd forgotten something there long ago and was just now returning to reclaim what I'd lost.

Our walk was an awkward one – I knew my little 'episode' inside the house had probably made Simon and Tori a little more weary of traveling with me, and I couldn't say I blamed them – I seemed to be getting worse lately, and it wasn't for a lack of trying. We walked in silence for a while, stopping occasionally to tie our shoelaces or shrug on another layer. I could tell Simon was trying to stall after his second stop, but I said nothing – after all, I was no less enthusiastic about our visit than he was. So I followed his example, stopping once or twice to zip up my sweater and re-tie my shoes. I could tell Tori was getting irritated, but she never said anything… until Simon stopped for the third time in ten minutes.

"I swear to God, if I see one of you stop one more time to tie your shoes, I'm gunna melt them to your feet," she warned, sounding thoroughly pissed off. Something about her warning sent a chill up my spine; I knew she was just kidding, but hearing her threaten us so soon after finding out about her increased abilities made me a little bit …uncomfortable, to say the least. I heard Simon mumble a quick apology before wiping his hands on his jeans and straightening up.

We resumed walking again, and miraculously, neither one of us felt the need to tie our shoelaces after Tori's warning.

A few more minutes passed before Tori added to her earlier statement. "Listen, guys… I know this is gunna be difficult for you, and I can tell by your shitty attempts at stalling that you're not looking forward to this… so why the hell are we risking it in the first place? We can steal food from a convenience store or something when we get desperate enough and save ourselves the trouble!"

She was right of course – there really was no reason for us to be so close to the place where the Edison Group had captured us. We could always – like Tori suggested - stick to nicking stuff from convenience stores and places with lousy security… but something was calling me back to my old house, and I couldn't ignore it any longer. It wasn't just a pull at the back of my mind anymore – it was like something was tugging me forward, as if I was attached to some invisible string that it had control over. I no longer wanted to go back: I _needed _to.

How was I supposed to explain that to her?

I stared at the ground, trying to compose a reply that didn't make me sound certifiable. "I… I have to do this, Tori. I know it doesn't make sense, but… I need to make sure Lauren and Andrew aren't worrying about me." I glanced at her for a moment and like I'd expected, she looked skeptical.

I tried again. "Also, I'm kinda starving. Emotional meltdowns can do that to a person," I added, smiling sheepishly. "And I happen to know for a fact that the nearest 7/11 is an hour away by car, which means we either take this risk and hope it pays off, or… we walk for a few more hours and freeze our asses off." I smiled brilliantly, knowing which option she was going to choose.

She rolled her eyes and started walking faster than before, outpacing us by almost a dozen meters.

A few minutes later, I saw something through the trees – a large rock. Remembering the boulders surrounding the pool area, I called out to Tori as loudly as I could. "Tori! Get your butt back here! We made it!" I hissed, praying she'd hear me. There was a moment when my heart began to beat wildly, and all I could think was, _we're walking straight into a trap. This is a bad idea! _I thought about how foolish it had been to manipulate Simon and Tori into coming here with me – how selfish it had been to make them risk their lives while I investigated a hunch… Fortunately, Tori did a very un-Tori-like thing: she stopped in her tracks immediately after she heard my warning and waited for Simon and I to catch up with her. Once we were all together again, I resumed my position as leader and whispered instructions to both Simon and Tori. "We have to stake out the place first," I said, pointing to the windows. "We have to make sure no one is home before we can break in, because Lauren and Andrew won't let me leave again without a fight. Do any of you know a spell that can tell you if people are nearby?" I asked, looking from his face to hers. Simon nodded, and Tori just shrugged – I took that as a maybe and asked Simon to cast his spell a few times.

A few dozen attempts later, he got it. He smiled a little as that small bit of power left him, and I smiled a little too; it was hard not to be happy for Simon – he was finally feeling better and able to use his powers again after months of being locked up and having them fail him… he felt useful again. I kinda wished I could too.

The 'spell' turned out to be like something you see in the movies – a circle of light appeared on the ground around our feet, then spread out in a circular shape until we could no longer see it. Simon closed his eyes in order to concentrate on maintaining the spell, while Tori and I studied our surroundings for any signs of movement. We couldn't be too careful; especially after everything we'd been through already...

A few minutes later, Simon spoke up. "There's nobody here," he said. He sounded surprised – as if he'd been expecting us to be ambushed the minute we reached Lauren and Andrew's house. "Nobody's in the house," he repeated, "and there's definitely nobody hiding in the forest with us… guys, I think it's safe to go in."

"Are you sure?" I asked. Something about being here felt "off" to me, as if I'd been caught stealing cookies from the cookie jar or something – I felt like I was doing something _wrong_.

Tori rolled her eyes. "Who's gunna be waiting for us in there? The big bad wolf?" I winced, and she bit her lip for a second – probably cursing her choice of words – before sticking her head out of the trees and looking out over the backyard. There was something smug about the smile she gave me when she returned that made me want to take a step back.

"Lemme get this straight… you grew up… in _there_?" Something about her voice changed as she spoke – it rose a couple of octaves (even in a whisper), and she seemed a little bit awestruck. I nodded, confirming what she'd said, although I thought it was kind of obvious… _where else did she expect me to be going when I told her I was taking her to my house? The White House?_

I was still debating with myself – should we risk it, or do as Tori suggested? I glanced at Simon one more time before making my decision. He looked confident in his abilities; telling him I didn't think it was safe to go in would be like telling him I didn't trust him or his spells. Taking too long to decide would do the same.

I took a deep breath, grabbed both their hands and stepped out of the trees…

And right back into a nightmare.

We'd come out about 30 feet from mine and Derek's old spot, but just being back home brought on a flood of memories – Simon and I teasing Derek, our many late-night talks, and of course that first kiss… were it not for the pressure of their hands around mine, I probably would've lost it… _again. _

_I've been doing that a lot lately, haven't I? _I realized. _It doesn't take much to set me off anymore. _I hushed my inner voice and concentrated on breathing. Still holding Simon and Tori's hands, I closed my eyes for a moment and took another deep breath to calm myself down. It must've come out a little bit shakier than I thought, because Simon squeezed my hand tighter, and Tori whispered gently, "we're here, Chloe. We're right here. You can do this." I returned the pressure on Simon's side and smiled at Tori, hoping those little gestures were enough to convey how thankful I was that they _were _there with me; had this been in one of my screenplays, I would've had the protagonist make a touching speech about friendship and the power love has over evil and other fluffy subjects such as those… but this was real life, and _Chloe Saunders_ didn't dare speak for fear of bursting into tears… again.

After our little 'moment' was over, we made our way to the stairs as nonchalantly as we could. The stairs to my room looked exactly as I remembered them, and for a minute, I hoped to God that my room hadn't been magically transformed into a home gym in my absence - though I seriously doubted _either_ of my adoptive parents had the time or the inclination to work out in their runaway-adoptive-daughter's bedroom… I paused at the bottom of the stairs with my hand on the banister. I didn't say anything to Simon or Tori, but they stopped too, not questioning my actions. I was grateful for that, because I really needed that couple of seconds to give myself a much-needed pep-talk. _The hard part is already over_, I told myself. _You made it! The hard part is already over, _I chanted, building up my own courage. I was surprised at how easy it was to lie to myself – the hard part was most certainly _not _over. Not by a long shot. Every part of this was going to be difficult, because it wasn't just the backyard or the forest or any particular place that reminded me of what I had lost – everything I saw was a constant reminder, because Derek had been such a huge part of my life. Simon and Derek were part of who I _was_, not just a collection of memories I could look back on fondly… _who would I be now, had it not been for my meeting Simon and Derek?_ I wondered. I knew I definitely wouldn't be the same broken person, but would the alternative be any better? _Probably not_. I'd always know, deep down, that there was something missing… wouldn't I? I considered the possibility for a second before realizing what was wrong with my theory: the Edison Group had been watching me all along, waiting for the day they could pluck me from my family and train me to be some sort of 'ultimate weapon'. They wouldn't have let me continue to live a normal life, even if I hadnever met the guys – I still would've been '_Chloe Saunders, the rarest specimen of them all'. _I'd still be talking to ghosts, and I'd still be a loner because of it… _the only difference between the two possible paths my life would've taken were two little boys looking for a friend to play with_. _That_ was what made the difference between _Chloe Saunders; ultimate weapon of destruction, _and _Chloe Saunders; fugitive and escapee. _Without them, I would've cracked – just like I did when they all disappeared. I would've had nobody to talk to, to relate to… no one to tell my stories to or be myself with. I would've been putty in the Edison Group's hands, willing to do anything to fit the mold – anything to belong _somewhere. _

And that's why I'd felt so broken – like a part of me was missing: Simon and Derek were part of who I was. Without them, I could never be completely whole... I could never go back to who I was before now. I'd never be completely whole ever again. Sure, I had Simon… but Simon didn't know nearly as much about me as Derek had. I'd loved Simon, trusted him, but I'd never been as close with him as I'd been with his brother, and I probably never would be.

A fluttering wisp of a question floated through my brain: _Could I ever open my heart to another person like I did for Derek? Could it be possible that I could love someone the way I loved him?_

I didn't even need a second to consider the answer.

_Never._

I don't know how long I was standing there, but it must've been a while, because Tori placed her hand on my shoulder and spoke. "We can go through the front door if it's easier for you," she said softly. I shook my head no without even stopping to think.

I took a deep breath and clenched my fists. _Time to face reality: the hard part isn't over. It'll never be over. You can't hide under the covers forever._

I shrugged off her arm as gently as possible and began to climb the stairs.

* * *

Have you ever read old journal entries or letters that you wrote to future versions of yourself? Have you ever chuckled to yourself and thought, 'wow, life was so different back then!' or 'glad that's over!'? Walking back into my room was like that. It hadn't been _that_ long of course – three months at the most – but everything felt so much smaller, as if I'd grown a few feet in the short time I'd been away. The bright pink canopy bed in the corner and the desk near the window seemed so fragile, so breakable – I wondered for a moment how I'd gone so long without ruining them. I felt like a giant in a dollhouse, claustrophobic and out of place.

And it was so… _clean._ Like no one had ever lived in it before. I figured Lauren would tidy the room after the police were through searching it, but I never thought she'd go this overboard – the room looked pristine, like a picture in an interior decorating catalogue. It felt wrong, too, as if I was trespassing in somebody else's house… I stepped into the room with Simon and Tori not far behind me. I felt cold the second I entered, and the goosebumps that appeared on my arms proved it wasn't all in my head like I'd originally thought it was. I wasn't the only one who felt it – I could hear Tori's teeth chattering behind me, and Simon had sworn under his breath a few seconds after I entered.

I knew we could all feel it – there was something wrong here.

"G-guys? Are y-you okay?" I whispered, teeth chattering along with Tori's.

"We're f-fine," Tori replied, rubbing her arms. That seemed to help – her voice returned to normal. "Let's just grab some food and get the hell out of here, okay? Your adoptive parents obviously don't believe in maintaining a habitable environment inside their house," she added, looking around the room.

I didn't reply, choosing instead to provide Simon with a few instructions: "Take Tori to the kitchen and stock up on whatever you can find that won't expire," I told him. "Make sure you grab some first-aid supplies from under the sink as well, and the lighter in the silverware drawer. There should be a flashlight in there too," I added.

"Alright, but what are you gunna do?" he asked, realizing my instructions meant I wouldn't be helping them gather supplies.

"Here," I said, pointing to the carpet. "I'm gunna grab some emergency cash from the safe in Lauren and Andrew's room and some clothes… plus I was hoping to find paper to write them a note," I added in a quieter voice, turning to judge his reaction. I knew it was a bad idea, but I wanted them to know I was safe and that they needn't worry about me.

I'd been expecting Simon to disagree, but he didn't even argue – just nodded and motioned for Tori to follow him out of my room. She did, leaving me alone in the middle of it all.

First, I did what I'd told Simon I was going to do: I grabbed a sweater out of my closet and my old windbreaker, putting them both on so as to block out the intense cold in the house. Then, when I was done, I crept into Lauren and Andrew's room. Nothing seemed out of place there – the bed was made, and it'd always been this clean – but I rushed myself anyway, not wanting to be in there any longer than I had to be.

I crossed the room to Lauren's walk-in closet and pulled it open, flicking on the light as I entered. It smelled like Lauren, as it always had – a mix of perfume and something like disinfectant – and I took a second to breath it in and remember the way she'd always said 'good morning' with a smile as she ran out the door...

I shook my head to focus myself again, remembering what I was supposed to be doing. I moved to the end of the closet and pushed aside a rack of clothes, revealing the safe that was hidden behind it. Lauren and Andrew had never told me about the safe, but I'd been looking for something in Lauren's closet a few months after they adopted me and stumbled upon it. Being the curious eleven-year-old that I was, I'd fiddled with it until I became bored with playing with the lock. I'd searched the house top-to-bottom, finally finding the combination scrawled messily into an old address book in a kitchen cupboard. I'd tried the combination one day while Lauren and Andrew were at work, and voila – an emergency cash stash. I'd never needed to use any of it before…

Thankfully, I'd never forgotten the combination. A few turns of the dial and it was open. I grabbed a few bundles of cash, not bothering to count it. Once I was sure I had enough, I zipped up my bag.

I was about to close the safe-door when I noticed an orange envelope peeking out from behind a few stacks of bills. Curious – and forgetting I was in a rush - I pulled it out to examine it. It was a regular manila envelope – the kind you hand in assignments with – but it was heavier, as if there was a huge amount of papers inside. The top wasn't sealed, but the file looked old, so I lifted the flap carefully and stuck my hand inside slowly. I don't know what I was afraid of – maybe that the envelope would disintegrate in my fingers, or that something inside the envelope would bite off my hand – but I began to pull the stack of paper out painstakingly slowly.

"CHLOE?"

Hearing Simon's voice, I almost dropped the envelope. I'd forgotten all about them for a moment, growing accustomed to the silence of this part of the house... "I'm in here, Simon!" I called back, sticking my head out of the closet door after shutting the safe hurriedly. He didn't say anything, so I exited the room and walked out into the kitchen where they were both supposed to be.

It was empty.

Heart pounding, I called out. "S-Simon? W-where are you guys?"

Tori called from the living room, and I swear, I'd never felt so relieved to hear her voice in my entire life. "Here! Near the front door!"

I followed the sound of her voice to the coat closet in the foyer, where she and Simon were both standing there, stunned, staring at something in Simon's hand. Their backs were facing me, but I could see something through the space between them.

I took a few steps forward, my heart beating even faster now. "G-guys? What's w-wrong?" I whispered.

Simon looked up and turned to face me, his hands shaking as he lifted them, bringing whatever he was holding into plain view. I gasped, seeing what it was: a backpack. My backpack: the one I'd been wearing the night I'd decided to go after Derek – the night that this whole insane mess had begun.

And in Simon's other hand: a few pieces of paper ripped out from the journal he and Derek had gotten me for my birthday.

"Chole, we have to-"

"Where did you get that?" I whispered, reaching for the strap and the papers.

There was remorse written plainly across his face as he spoke. "It was in the coat closet…" he pulled a crumpled envelope from his pocket and handed it to me, along with the note."This was inside... "

It _was_ my farewell letter to Lauren and Andrew, just as I'd feared. More than a few pages long, it had taken more than being shoved into a pocket to crumple it…

And just like that, it all became clear to me; because what other explanation _could_ there be? Lauren and Andrew had obviously seen my backpack lying around – there was no way they could miss it… it had been placed in the coat closet for God's sakes! And by the looks of it, they'd already read my letter – read it and dumped it back into my backpack, along with everything I had planned to take with me on the run. They knew I would never have left without my backpack – not willingly, anyway…

"They knew," I whispered as calmly as I could, glancing at the papers in my hand and the file I'd taken from the safe. "They knew I wouldn't have left without my journal or my backpack… they were in on it! They've been in on it from the beginning!" My voice had been increasing in pitch as I spoke, and the last few words came out as barely more than a squeak. "This explains everything: how the Edison Group knew about my whereabouts, how they were able to watch us so easily-!" I was close to hyperventilating now, but I couldn't get myself to calm down any. I grabbed Simon's hand to steady myself. "We have to leave, Simon! We have to get out of here!" I began tugging on his hand, motioning to Tori to join us.

Someone cleared their throat from the doorway behind us, and in that moment, I knew we were absolutely, positively screwed.

"Welcome home sweetie."

* * *

**Whew! That took waaaaaay longer than I originally anticipated! Sorry about that my dears; I somehow managed to get the flu on the first day of break, and it took my feeble little immune system a helluva long time to fight it off… But now that I'm healthy again, I'm off to work on that one-shot I promised you guys! :) I think I'm gunna thank the first 20 reviewers for this chapter with a little summary! Sound good? ;)**

**Please review my loves! I need my mojo back, and you just KNOW the next chapter is gunna be epic, right? (Right? :S) Also, the amount of reviews for the last couple of chapters has been unusually low… remember, I need your criticism, or else I star to right like dis! (Just kidding, although it might be interesting to see how burning would react to that :P)**

**Anyways, that's all for today! For those of you with blogger: lemme know if you could use a follower! I'm trying to get mine going :)**

**I swear that's it!**

**REVIEW!**


	27. Sacrifices

**Heyyyy guys… ya miss me? I know I've been gone for a while, but I'm here and ready to roll! So please don't hate me forever, even though I've been a terrible person… Long story short, I had the worst case of writer's block I've EVER experienced, and everything I wrote for 2 months sucked. But the good news is, it's over now, and I'm determined to get this chapter out to all you awesome people!**

**Shoutouts go out to: Eruaphadriel, CrazyObsessedVampireGirl, and every single person who reviewed. BIG, HUMUNGOUS, ENORMOUS shoutouts and hugs go out to everyone who stuck with this story – and me – since the beginning (which was, in case you've all forgotten, more than a year ago!). I love you all, and I would never have gotten as far as I did without all your help. Thank you from the bottom of my wee piggy heart! :D**

* * *

**Disclaimer**: Christina is finally done exams and ready to tackle that "to be read" pile Steph's been building for her…

Steph: *Plops down a huge stack of books onto Christina's dresser*  
Ok, I've got _If I Stay, The Perks of Being a Wallflower, Stolen, Before I Fall, Living Dead Girl, _and _Matched. _These are the bare minimum!

Christina: *Pouts*  
But… why are there so many?  
*Picks up _Before I Fall_*  
And this one is HUGE! How am I supposed to read this?

Steph: *Narrows Eyes*  
If you don't read these, I'm not talking to you anymore, got it?

*Points to stack*

You need to read these to be a better person!

Christina: But I'm _already_ a better person!

Steph: *Raises eyebrow*  
Oh really? Why don't we ask Simon what he thinks?

*Shakes head and mutters*  
Poor guy… he hasn't been the same since _that night_…

Christina: *Shrugs*  
Listen, he didn't tell me to stop, alright? Mind your own beeswax, and stop being bitter just because you _still _don't own DP!

*Turns around*

Steph: *Takes _Before I Fall _from Christina's hands*  
You're right, Chris. I am bitter. I think it's because I always keep my emotions locked up tight inside… but I'm gunna let them out from now on!

Christina: *Smiles*  
Reeeally?

Steph: *Smiles sinisterly*  
Yup!

*Proceeds to hit Christina over the head with the book. Christina lands on her bed. Steph smiles and leaves the book next to her before retreating to her writing cave*

* * *

**Sacrifices**

"_You know, it's strange – our society has taken the word 'love' and twisted it to mean 'enjoy' or 'like'. But what is the true definition of love? Personally, I think love means you would do anything and everything to keep someone safe; that when you love someone, you know it, because you would give up your life for them. You would plead with God Himself and ask Him to take your life instead of theirs – sacrifice yourself in order to ensure that they keep breathing."_

Anonymous

* * *

It was like every slasher flick you've ever seen – the heroine or hero turns around in slow-motion, only to realize (too late, of course) that the killer is standing right behind them, wielding some sort of bloody weapon - all it really needed was a ditzy blond wearing stilettos as she ran for her life.

Except it _wasn't_ a slasher flick, and the person standing in the doorway _wasn't _some bloodthirsty killer…

It was Lauren. Lauren, the woman who'd adopted and raised me when no one else would – the person who called me 'hun' and 'sweetheart' and kissed me goodnight, promising I was safe and that everything was going to be all right now.

I shut my eyes tightly for a second; unable to process what was going on.

_This can't be happening._

But it _was _happening, and no amount of begging, pleading, or disbelief on my part was going to change that fact, so I balled my hands at my sides and turned around. I looked my foster mother – the one who had claimed to love me once upon a time – dead in the eyes and said, "Hello, Lauren."

She half-smiled, half-frowned while she examined me from head to toe, "I missed you, hon. You've been gone for so long… where have you been, anyway? You look horrible," she said, as nonchalantly as someone commenting on the weather.

_She's one to talk_. I never knew the phrase '_you look like shit_' could ever be applied literally, but in Lauren's case, it seemed to describe her haggard appearance perfectly – she had multiple layers of bags under her eyes, and her usually healthy-looking skin was pale and stretched taut over her hollow cheeks. She also had a crazed look in her eyes that told me she wasn't exactly firing on all pistons.

"You know perfectly well where I've been," I said, my tone accusatory. "I was locked up in that _place_ you let them take me to… you do remember it, don't you?" I asked, sarcasm colouring my tone.

She shook her head and took a few steps towards me, but I stepped back, keeping the amount of distance between us constant. She seemed hurt by that, but I honestly couldn't find it in me to care.

"Chloe, sweetheart, I _never _wanted any of that to happen. Never in a million years would I have let them do that to you if I'd known… Davidoff told me he was taking you somewhere to keep you safe!" It was like she had two personalities – one that cared about me and one that couldn't care less.

"So you just let them take me?" I demanded. "Like I was something you could just _give away_? Is that what you're saying?" I forgot Tori and Simon for a minute, letting all my anger rush out at once.

"No! Of course not! I _begged _Marcel to let you stay; begged him!" She started to tear up, her face getting redder by the second. "It didn't do any good! He took you away, and when I asked to see you, he said- he said you were already with another family – people capable of caring for your unique needs… I would have never known you were locked in that cell if it wasn't for-"

"Frankly, I don't give a shit who told you," I interjected, cutting her off. "The point is you knew I was in there, and you did absolutely nothing about it!"

"There was nothing I _could _do!" she cried, eyes wild. "I'm just a mortal! I'm powerless against them!"

"You're not powerless; you're just _lazy_. Your job was over, your work was done… after all, they'd only paid you to take care of me for a few years; no point in working over-time for no pay, right?"

"No, it wasn't like that at all! I loved you like a daughter, and I still do!"

"You're a liar," I whispered. "You _never _loved me. You left me alone, day after day, getting as far away from me as you could… I bet you were counting the days until they took me away and gave you your life back!" I knew it was cruel to taunt her when she was in the state she was in, but the accusation sprang to my lips, unwilling to go unheard.

"Chloe, we have to go," Tori whispered, pulling me backwards. "I know how you feel, but we have to get out of here before she can call for back-up!"

"Don't bother," Lauren told us, sitting down. "I've already called the Edison Group to confirm their sighting of you. They're on their way here as we speak."

_Shit, shit, shit!_

"We have to get out of here, _now_!" I told Simon and Tori. I started running through possible exits in my head, but I knew it was pointless: we were trapped. The Edison Group's guards were probably stationed all around the property, leaving us no opportunity to escape.

"We could take the car," Tori suggested half-heartedly – she knew all it would take to stop us in a car was a spell. We needed a fool-proof way out.

"We could try the forest; go back to my house and figure out something there," Simon whispered, keeping his voice low so Lauren couldn't hear us.

I shook my head. "No good," I whispered back. "They're probably already out there, waiting for us. The first place they'd think to check is your house, Simon."

He nodded but didn't say anything else.

Frustrated, I converged on Lauren. "Why would you call the Edison Group without hearing us out first?" I demanded. "If what you said about caring about me is true, then you should have been ready to protect us from them instead of calling them the second you saw us!"

She looked down at her hands for a second, then looked up and met my gaze. "I never called them," she admitted quietly.

"WHAT?"

"I never actually called them!" she repeated. "I just needed you to think I did so you would stop trying to escape for a minute and hear me out!"

I swear, I wanted nothing more in that instant than to go over to where she was sitting and slap her – hard – across the face. I was sure her little stunt had shaved years off my life (judging by the racing heart in my chest), but I knew she wasn't thinking straight, so I just crossed my arms and glared. "Well?" I asked impatiently, staring her down. "What is it? What was so important that you _had_ to trap us here to make sure we knew about?"

She tried to place her hand on my arm, but I jerked back, ensuring I was out of her reach – I was so disgusted with her at that point that I wanted to keep a three foot radius between us at all times. Her arm hung there in the empty air, bent at an awkward angle. After a few seconds, she pulled it back towards her chest, covering it with the other hand. The entire process made her look so delicate and breakable – like a porcelain doll – that I immediately felt a swell of guilt in my stomach; I had to remind myself of what she'd done to keep the apology from leaking out from behind my lips.

Finally, she spoke: "I knew your parents long before the accident," she began, eyes glued to my face, watching for my reaction.

That was the last thing I'd been expecting her to say. Almost immediately, a thousand questions appeared in my mouth, fighting to get out. I tried to ask one, but it was like my words were tripping over each other.

Thankfully, Simon spoke up in my place, asking the most important question: "What do you mean, you knew her parents?"

She returned her focus to me, eyes wide and shining with tears. "I thought you would guess after all these years, but you always looked more like her than I did," she said, smiling sadly. She started to cry, and I still had no idea what she was talking about. She pushed her hair off her shoulder in a way that sparked _something _in my memory…

_My mom used to do that- _

And then it dawned on me: Lauren was a few years younger than my mother had been when I'd come to stay with them. And the way she looked – hadn't I compared her features to my mother's the first time we'd met at the orphanage? She had the same shade of light blond hair, and the same build…

"No…" I whispered under my breath. "No! It's not possible! Mom would have told me! She wouldn't have kept a secret like that from me!" I bellowed, trying to convince them even though I knew that was a lie: my very _existence_ had all been one big secret, and my parents had never bothered to tell me about it. Even so, I couldn't believe that this was true – it just wasn't _possible_.

Lauren smiled, the trails of her tears making her face appear shiny. "I loved your mom so, so much," she said. "She was the best sister I could have ever asked for, even after everything I did to her. She and your dad decided to run to keep you safe, and she knew it was a long shot. She asked me to take care of you if something ever happened to them…." Her smile disappeared, replaced by something that wasn't distinguishable – it looked like a cross between 6 years of guilt and heart-wrenching grief. "After the accident, I searched for you for months - I finally found you in that hell-hole of an orphanage, but the Edison Group had already begun the process of adopting you. The only way they'd let me raise you was if I agreed to help them…"

I still couldn't believe it. "You're… my aunt? Really?"

She nodded. "I wanted to tell you Chloe, but they wouldn't let me. They said it'd make you ask too many questions… They told me never to talk about your parents because it might upset you -"

If it wasn't happening to me, I would have found the situation comical. "The Edison Group was worried about _upsetting _me? Those bastards are the ones who killed my parents!"

"What are you talking about?"

"Lau—Aunt Lauren, the Edison Group is responsible for the death of my parents. They killed them to get to me!"

"Who told you this?" she asked in a quiet voice, her face even paler than before.

"Davidoff told me himself. He was taunting me, telling me I'd end up like them if I didn't cooperate with his plans…"

She looked like she was about to pass out then, so I waited before saying anything else. I knew I'd dropped a bomb, telling Lauren that her sister's death was planned by her _boss_, so I gave her a few seconds to process what I'd said.

If I'd been expecting her to react in any way, it definitely wasn't in the calm, cool way she did. I could tell she was ready to kill someone – Davidoff, I hoped – by the look in her eyes, but she stood up and crossed the room, heading in the direction I'd just come in from. I looked at Simon and Tori and shrugged, motioning for them to follow me out. They did, staying so close behind me that I could feel Simon's breath on the back of my neck. We followed Lauren down the hall and into my bedroom.

She was standing by the door to the balcony, holding some sort of over-sized cellphone in her hands. Before we could open our mouths to ask what she was doing, she held up her finger to her lips, warning us not to make a sound. We did as she said, staying silent until the moment she pressed and button and looked up again. "Had to sweep for and disable any listening devices," she explained cooly, as if such things could usually be found in the bedroom of a sixteen-year-old girl.

"What _was _that thing?" Tori asked, pointing to the brick-sized device. She sounded somewhere between disgusted and intrigued.

"My husband built it," Lauren summarized, as if that was all that needed to be said on the topic. Then, before I could ask her where exactly Andrew _was,_ she strode over and hugged me fiercely, squeezing me so tight the air rushed out of my lungs mid-breath.

"You didn't deserve all of this," she said, her voice muffled by my hair. "And I want to protect you, but I _can't_. I can't keep you safe – the best I can do is run with you, stay with you while we figure out what to do next…" She released her vise grip on me and stepped back. "But I can't even do that yet! I still have half that whole damned group watching me, spying on me…"

Lauren returned to her spot next to the balcony's entrance, pulling the glass door open. "You'll have to go without me for now," she said simply.

She held open the screen door, waiting for us to step through; watching as we descended the stairs. "Call my office as soon as you're safe," she whispered urgently. "I'll meet you there once I lose my tail. Understood?"

I nodded, hugged her, and followed Simon and Tori down the steps.

The second my foot touched the ground, I felt it again – that feeling, deep in my stomach, that there was some evil presence lurking nearby – the same feeling I'd had in the forest only hours ago.

I didn't even have time to warn Tori and Simon – dozens of armed guards rushed into the backyard, guns held aloft, ready to shoot. They came from deep within the forest, gathering in a sort of semi-circle in front of us in order to block our escape route.

_He _appeared last, dressed in a button-up shirt and black pants that looked odd next to the guards' uniforms.

"Chloe, sweetheart! We thought we'd lost you!" Davidoff's plastered-on smile became a pout as he addressed us as a group: "You've been very naughty, children – what with the escaping and the destruction of our facility…" He shook his head disappointedly. "That little stunt of yours cost us eight million smackaroos, kids! Do you have any idea how much money that is?"

We stood, frozen to the spot, unable to move for fear of being shot. Part of me wanted to believe that they'd never actually shoot us – we were their 'weapons', after all – but I wasn't sure that was enough anymore, considering the number of times we'd escaped. In fact, I was pretty sure that this was our last chance to get on Davidoff's good side.

Why bother, though? The only thing we would accomplish by going quietly was going right back to where we'd started – square one: an eight by ten foot cell. I glanced at Davidoff's face for a moment - I knew Davidoff was taunting us, but I had more important things to worry about – namely, keeping us alive and getting the hell out of here.

_And, really, who says 'smackaroos', anyway?_

I was almost one hundred percent sure we were done for – the guards outnumbered us by at least three to one, and our powers were useless against them, since a binding spell wouldn't work on this many people at once.

Did I neglect to mention the huge, menacing rifles carried by each one of the guards?

Tori grabbed my arm, her grip so tight that her nails dug into my skin. "Listen to me, Chloe," she whispered hurriedly, "if you get the chance, run for it. Don't worry about me, all right? Just take Simon and _run._"

I shook my head and whispered, "Absolutely not, Tori! I'm not going to just leave y-"

Simon saw the look on my face. "Chloe?" he whispered, probably hoping I had a plan that would miraculously get us out of the mess we were in.

I shook my head slowly, and Davidoff noticed, his eyes narrowing dangerously though he had no reason to be suspicious – there was no way we could make it past him and a dozen armed guards without some sort of miraculous intervention. "You're not gonna get out of this one, kids!" he reminded us. "No use in planning an escape!"

Tori straightened, released my arm, and took a step forward. "This is getting really old," she announced, to no one in particular, "And frankly, Dr. Davidoff, you're wasting your time! None of us will ever agree to become your W.M.D." She put her hands on her hips and waited for him to say something.

I tensed, anticipating some cruel form of punishment for Tori – the way she'd spoken to Davidoff reminded me of the way students yelled at teachers at my old school – there were almost always serious consequences when it came to disrespecting someone in an authoritative position. And they were usually worse if that person happened to have an ego the size of Massachusetts.

But Dr. Davidoff didn't yell. He _smiled._

"W.M.D.?" he repeated, as if he'd never heard of the phrase. I wanted to wipe that smirk off his face, but I figured it was a bad idea considering the number of guns he had at his disposal.

"Weapon. Of. Mass. Destruction." Tori clarified, speaking in the same tone you would normally use with a five year old. "We know all about your stupid plan to win the war, but you know what? It's not gunna work. We refuse to be a part of it."

She looked smug, but Davidoff's smile didn't disappear – I wondered for a second what the hell Tori thought she was doing.

Davidoff reached into his pocket and pulled out a strange device. "Oh, but that's not true!" He turned to face me. "Chloe will help me, won't you Chloe? Because if she doesn't…" He pointed behind us, back towards the house. I turned around to see what he was pointing out and froze.

Tori's mom was standing over Lauren's body, which was nothing but a crumpled lump on the patio floor – almost exactly where she'd been when we said goodbye. Tori's mom's smirk matched Davidoff's.

I forgot about everything else – the way Lauren had betrayed me, the way she'd always seemed a little distant towards me…. I forgot it all when I saw her lying there, and I started screaming.

"LAUREN!"

When she didn't stir, I turned back around to face Davidoff. "What did you do to her?" I demanded, voice hoarse from screaming.

"Nothing!" he assured me, "but if you don't co-operate with us, Chloe, Lauren might have a bit of an… _accident. _Do you understand me, sweetheart?"

I stared up at the man who'd been the source of everything bad in my life, and I understood only one thing: he needed to die if we were ever going to be happy again, and I needed to be the one who killed him.

Apparently my face had displayed some of what I was feeling, because Davidoff's smile faltered for a second, and he stepped back, distancing himself from me. When I looked up again, he was tapping his foot impatiently, all traces of a smile removed from his features.

"Chris!" he barked at the nearest guard, startling the guy so much he almost dropped his gun. _Chris_ looked at Davidoff like he was honoured to be in his presence, but Davidoff just started belting out instructions to his minions. "Take them to the vans!" he demanded, his eyes on us. He turned to the ground on his left side. "Make sure the witch and the sorcerer are knocked out before we start travelling, got it? Now go!"

Everything started happening really fast then; I was almost sure time had sped up somehow without me noticing, because one minute I was watching as the guards swarmed us, and the next, I was being pulled by Tori towards the road, and the guards who'd been about to grab us were almost a dozen feet away. I couldn't believe our luck – how could we escape so easily, so quickly? – until we almost ran head-first into another wall of guards.

We stopped running immediately, realizing just how trapped we were – they had us surrounded. There was nowhere we could run to, unless….

"We have to lure all the guards to one place!" I whispered, grabbing Tori's hand. "Then you guys can hit 'em with a spell, and we can run like hell once they're knocked out!"

Simon looked at me like I was crazy. "Chloe, there could be hundreds of guards in those woods! We have no way of knowing when we've lured all of them to the clearing!"

"We don't need all of them," I reasoned, still whispering. "We just need _some _of them – enough to leave us a big enough trail for the way out."

"How the hell do you expect us to do that?" Tori asked exasperatedly. "In case you haven' noticed, there's no-" she stopped and surveyed the property for a moment; she blinked, and I recognized the gleam in her eyes that meant she had a plan - one I probably wouldn't approve of. She turned to me for a second and caught my gaze. "Remember what I said before!" she whispered.

And then she took off running.

"Tori!" Simon yelled her name with an undertone of panic in his voice, but she didn't turn back. She ran towards the path that lead to the front of the house, and I suddenly realized what she was doing: she was luring the guards out of the way so we could escape.

And it was true - six or seven guards appeared from around the front of the house and started running towards Tori, who led them away from our escape route and back towards the pool. She was a pretty fast runner, but they were catching up to her. We wouldn't be able to prolong this opportunity.

_She knows the guards will go after her. She's their number one priority because she's so powerful. That'll leave our escape route unprotected.  
_  
I hated myself for thinking it, but I knew it was our best bet for escape.

I grabbed Simon's arm and started running towards the side of the house, praying Tori would be all right. Simon was running alongside me; he should've been in front of me because his legs were longer, but he kept glancing backwards to see if Tori was okay. When I said his name to get him to pick up the pace, he jumped, then kept going at the same pace, ignoring what I'd said. "We can't just leave Tori!" he repeated, and it took a lot of self-restraint to keep me from telling him we _wouldn't_be leaving Tori if he didn't start running faster.

But I felt it too - that stab in the chest, the sinking feeling in my stomach - we couldn't just leave her behind after all she'd done for us. No matter what the Edison Group thought she was, Tori was - first and foremost - our friend.

So I did something really stupid: I turned around.

I sprinted back towards where I'd last seen Tori, all the while sending out a wave of _something_, begging for help from whoever happened to be listening at the time. _Please_, I begged whoever happened to be listening, _help us make it out of this alive.  
_  
I knew there was nothing I could do - what help was a 5 foot 3 inch necromancer against a dozen half-demons and sorcerers, anyway? - but I figured that (realistically speaking) we would all be captured eventually... I just happened to be speeding up the process a little by charging into battle completely unarmed.

It wasn't a big deal or anything.

I could hear Simon calling my name, but my U-turn had caught him off guard, and he was trailing more than forty feet behind me. _Run, you idiot_! I wanted to yell at him. _You could still escape_! I knew he would never do it, but I had hoped he might take the opportunity and save himself while I attempted to play superman.

Almost immediately, one of the guards noticed me hurtling towards their little circle around Tori; he shouted something to his comrades, and they turned around, a few of them preparing to capture me. A few of them nudged each other and laughed, probably finding humor in the fact that I thought I could save the day – necromancer with no fighting skills to speak of.

I faked left towards them and a few lunged, but I turned back at the last second, almost smashing face-first into Simon, who'd been following me all along.

"ARE YOU CRAZY?" he bellowed, doing his best to follow my zig-zagging trail. He got too close to the group for a second and a guard lunged at him, but he jumped backwards out of harm's way, narrowly missing the guard's hands.

Simon looked up and whispered something, and suddenly the guard who'd lunged at him went still as a statue. It all happened so fast I would've missed it if I blinked, but it still triggered a sick feeling in the pit of my stomach – I'd never seen Simon use his powers to hurt anyone before. _I've never even seen him kill a bug_, I realized.

Simon started back towards me, running as fast as his legs could carry him in the opposite direction of the guards. "WE HAVE TO MOVE!" he shouted, tugging on my arm as he ran past.

I followed his lead, sincerely hoping that Tori had used our pathetic attempt at a distraction to get herself free.

When I dared to look back, I realized she was doing worse than ever – she'd been captured, and she was being restrained by a multitude of guards; for a moment, I wondered why she hadn't used any spells on them – then I realized that with the amount of guards around her, the effect of Tori's powers would be almost 'diluted'. And with Simon unable to do much, and me unable to do anything at all… she was helpless.

"TORI!" I shrieked, trying to get her attention. When she looked up, she met my eyes from across the yard.

In her eyes was a fierceness I'd never seen in anyone before, and it terrified me – I knew beyond a doubt that she was about to do something crazy. I started running back towards her, not caring that I had nothing to fight with. I had to get her out of there – no one else was going to die because of me.

They were closing in around her, blocking my view of her completely. The ones in the front raised their guns and trained them on me, and I was forced to back up a few dozen feet or risk getting shot. Simon was right beside me, and he pulled me back, urging me to run… I couldn't do it – couldn't leave her like that, defenseless and alone, trapped like a wild animal.

"REMEMBER WHAT I SAID BEFORE!" she shouted from within the confines of the group, and a felt a chill go down my spine: the way she'd said it, it seemed like she was saying goodbye.

And then the whole yard exploded.

At first, I didn't realize what had happened: the bodies of the guards littered the ground dozens of feet away from where they'd been standing, and there was a crater originating from where they'd been holding Tori. The whole backyard was a mess – the grass was singed all around the outside of the crater, and there was definitely smoke coming from the general vicinity of the thing. Simon and I had been thrown onto our backs, and as I sat up and rubbed dirt from my sleeves, I realized with a start that there was no sign of Tori anywhere.

I bolted upright and turned around to help Simon up. He was rubbing the back of his head gingerly – he'd probably landed on a rock or something – and cursing under his breath. When I told him I couldn't find Tori, he tensed up and dropped his hand, forgetting his pain and scanning the yard for any sign of her I might've missed.

"What _was _that?" he asked. He began running towards the origin of the explosion – the crater – dodging the lifeless bodies of the guards who'd seemed so threatening moments ago. I jogged to catch up and fell into step with him, telling him I had no idea. "Do you think it could've been a bomb or something?" he asked urgently. "I know the rebels were developing a new-"

He went silent as we reached the edge of the crater and for good reason – instead of the shrapnel, or debris, you'd usually find in a bomb crater, laid Tori, unconscious and pale as a ghost.

Neither of us hesitated before racing down to the center of the thing. We sprinted with every ounce of speed we could muster up from our tired muscles, reaching her in seconds. I tried to shake her, but when she didn't respond, I lifted her head and supported it in my lap while Simon checked to see if she was breathing. When he was sure of that, he checked her pulse, resting his fingers gently against the inside of her wrist.

After a few moments of silence, he let go of her wrist and met my gaze. "She's barely breathing, and her pulse is so slow…" his voice broke at the end, and he looked like he was going to start tearing up. "How the hell did she do that…?" he whispered so quietly I almost missed it. I didn't answer his question – what was there to say, after all? 'She was genetically modified to be the most powerful spell-caster alive, and this is why your brother didn't want her anywhere near us?'

He shook his head, wiped his hands on his pants and stood up. He bent down to pick her up and stood straight again, then started walking – I thought he'd be unsteady on his feet with her in his arms, but he didn't even sway.

I followed Simon out of the crater, my senses on high-alert again as I scanned the guards for any sign of movement. They were all just as lifeless as they'd been before, though – I didn't know whether to be happy or worried that they'd been more than just 'knocked out'. I looked around again; where the hell were Davidoff and Mrs. Enright? Had they left once they'd been sure the guards had us, or were they still lurking around somewhere inside the house?

I returned my attention to Simon, watching as he carried Tori towards the front of the house. Thinking about what she'd done, I felt my eyes prickle familiarly, signaling oncoming tears. I remembered how she'd sounded while reminding me that I'd promised to take Simon and run if I had the opportunity. _She sacrificed herself to save us. She knew how badly it would affect her, but she still did it._

I started to cry then, silent tears that mixed with the dirt and sweat already present on my face. _How could she do that? How could she be so stupid? _I ran through a few dozen swear words in my head, trying to figure out which one to use to describe her. I was so angry at her – she knew how I felt about protecting her and Simon after everything that had happened… _First my parents, then Derek, then Lauren, and now Tori? Why do all the people I care about end up like this?_

I shook my head, trying to pull myself together. "Where are you going?" I asked Simon, voice unsteady as I wiped my face. I wondered if he had any idea what we should do next, because as far as I could see, we were wingin' it.

"Garage," he said simply, but I knew what he meant – he wanted to check for a car, because we couldn't get very far with Tori on foot. I nodded, following him out past the shrubs; past the only cover we had from the road.

The minute we stepped out, I spotted a white cube van parked across the street. The engine was running, but the glass was so tinted, I couldn't tell if there was anyone inside or not. I figured it must've belonged to the Edison Group – how else were a dozen armed guards supposed to get to this stretch of the forest without being noticed? _There's probably nobody inside_, I rationalized.

The van pulled up to the stretch of road in front of us, and we stopped dead in our tracks. Apparently there _was _someone inside….

My mind was reeling – I was still hyperaware of my surroundings, the adrenalin still coursing through my veins, and I knew no matter who it was inside, we would have to fight our way through them to safety. But we had a little bit of a problem: our only weapons were a necromancer and a drained spell-caster, not to mention the fact that Simon held a lifeless Tori in his arms….

We waited - the hair on the back of my neck sticking straight up - but no gunmen jumped out and shouted 'boo!' In fact, no one jumped out at all.

Instead, the van door slid open and a familiar voice called urgently, "Get in! We don't have much time!" My eyes widened as I realized what was going on, but I couldn't get my mouth to work.

"Chloe?" Despite everything he'd done, Simon was still looking to me for direction. I nodded, sincerely hoping I wasn't going to regret my decision.

Simon stepped forward, gently placing Tori on the seat closest to the door before climbing inside himself. I couldn't see his face, but he held out his hand to help me up into the van.

I stepped into the van and turned to shut the door, allowing myself one last look at that place that had been my home for so long. After a few seconds, I slammed the door shut, saying a quick prayer for Lauren: _please, if there's anybody listening, keep her safe until we can come back for her. Please don't let her be_—

The van shot forward as the driver increased the pressure on the gas pedal. "_You_!" Simon's angry tone shocked me out of my daze. I turned my back to the window in order to face the driver's side, confused at how Simon could possibly know the driver as well. "You worked with my dad! You're that double agent who was spying on the Edison Group for the rebels!"

Andrew nodded somberly, not taking his eyes off the road.

* * *

**A/N: Phew! Can you say Carpel Tunnel? Leave me some lovely reviews to read when I come back from taping my wrists, okay? Please? **

**And again, I'm so, so sorry for taking so long to get this out! I love you all!**

**PS. I'm working on a multi-chap one-shot at the moment – I'm not gunna promise anything time-wise, but it'll definitely be posted before summer!**

**PPS. It's Christina's birthday on Saturday, and then mine ten days later! So to celebrate (and because I'm really, really sorry about the long wait...), I'm gunna be giving away a copy of **_**The Gathering **_**to one awesome reader! :P If you'd like to enter, leave a review telling me you wanna enter. The winner will be announced in my Author's Note in the next chapter! :)**


	28. Guilt

**Author's Note**: **Hey guys! Did ya miss me? *Hangs head in shame* I know it's been a long, long time, and I'm really sorry, but real life has a tendency to get in the way when it comes to writing :( Fortunately, though, it's summer now, so I have no school and two months in which I can spend all my time writing! *Does her version of a happy dance, which really shouldn't be legal***

**I know I do this every time, but I really want to thank everyone who reviews and subscribes to my stories. Even though it's been a couple of months and I have the tendency to update sporadically, you guys keep leaving me wonderful reviews (almost daily!), and I usually get 4-6 new subscribers per day (which is friggin' AMAZING!). Thank you so much everyone! I promise the next chapter will have a big shout-out with everyone's names (you have to leave a review on this chapter so I know who to include, though). I LOVE YOUZ ALL! *Send cyber-hugs through the computer* I have to give a huge shout-out to burning, of course – I didn't send her this chapter because I wanted to give it to you guys as soon as I finished writing it, but she is the main reason every chapter is as good as it is. *Sends cyber hug and fruit-fly killing spray, since she is apparently being attacked at the moment***

**As for the winner of the copy of _The Gathering_… only 3 or 4 people said they wanted to enter, and I didn't think that was very fair, so we're gunna try it again in the next few chapters. Just let me know if you want to be entered to win a copy of Kelley's book _The Gathering_ – once there are at least 20 entries, I'll pick the winner out of a hat or something and PM the winner :P**

**Anyways, I think that's it for now (although I am working on a one-shot, so be on the lookout for that soon!) Enjoy the chapter, guys!**

* * *

**Disclaimer**: **Christina and Steph are discussing Christina's workout routine while they're on the treadmill together at the gym.**

Christina: And I was so tired after eight minutes on the elliptical that I decided to just skip it from now on!  
*Smiles widely*

Steph: *Confused*  
_Eight_minutes? As in the number after seven? How did you only last eight minutes?

Christina: I was tired, okay? Anyways, I've decided I'm just gunna do 45 minutes of walking on the treadmill from now on so I don't get tired or sweaty; that way, if I see some hot guys while I'm working out, I'll still look good!  
*Winks*

Steph: *Pinches bridge of nose*  
You are the laziest person I have ever had the misfortune of meeting.

Christina: *Smiles*  
I know. I appreciate your honesty! So now I gotta be honest with you: you don't own DP sweetheart. It's time to let go and move on from that childish dream.  
*Chuckles*  
I mean, seriously Steph! What's it been, like three years now? Give it up girlie!  
*Makes heart with fingers*  
Love youuuu!

Steph: *Glares, then smiles back*  
Love you too!  
*Leans over and turns the speed up on Christina's treadmill all the way. Christina flies off, lands on an exercise ball, and begins to moan in pain.*

Steph: *Gets off treadmill and stretches*  
That was such a great workout!  
*Leaves; meanwhile Christina is still laying on the exercise ball moaning*

* * *

**Guilt**

_"The guilty one is not he who commits the sin, but the one who causes the darkness."_  
-Victor Hugo

* * *

After Simon's dramatic announcement, the van became a very quiet place.

Once I'd found my tongue and remembered how to speak, I sat up straight and addressed Andrew: "What does he mean, 'double agent'? Have you been working for the rebels the entire time I've known you, Andrew? Did Aunt Lauren know this was going on?"

"It's good to see you again, kiddo – and to answer your question, yes, Lauren knew for a while. She disagreed with the whole thing until recently, when Davidoff took you away from us…"

Simon looked like he'd been punched in the face. "Wait a sec, Chloe … this is your Aunt's husband? _This _is Andrew?"

I nodded once and turned back to Andrew. "So you guys have been enemies all this time while still living under the same roof?" I asked, extremely confused.

"Not enemies, per say… it was more like we agreed to disagree, because we both wanted out of the Edison Group, but we couldn't agree on which method would work out the best," he admitted. "Your aunt wanted us to just take you and run as far away as we could and go into hiding – she said that was what your parents would have wanted, and that it was the only thing we could do if we wanted to keep you with us," he explained.

"Then why didn't you do that? Why didn't you guys just tell me the truth in the first place?" I demanded, my anger towards him growing by the second. _If they had just told me the truth … everything would have been so different! _I took a deep breath, pushing away the thoughts that had begun to rush in - _I spent all those years worrying about hiding my abilities when Andrew and Aunt Lauren knew about them all along anyway?_

"We wanted to tell you, Chloe, believe me, but it was way too dangerous: we were under constant surveillance, and Davidoff kept threatening to take you away if we 'compromised the experiment' – meaning we weren't allowed to tell you what was going on in case you decided to support the rebels instead of Davidoff and the rest of his group."

For a moment Davidoff's face flashed in my mind – he was smiling the same way he'd been smiling when he'd shown me my injured aunt and tried to blackmail me into helping him, and it strengthened my resolve. He'd had a part in every single facet of my life – controlled it, manipulated and shaped and re-shaped it as he pleased – but now I was done being his puppet. I'd lost everything because of that bastard: my parents, Derek, and the happy, carefree life I could've lead were it not for that pitiful excuse for a human being. I glanced at Tori – unconscious in the back seat and looking more fragile than I'd ever seen her look - and felt a stab of guilt in my stomach; if she didn't recover from the explosion of power she'd used to save us from Davidoff's cronies, I knew I'd be adding her to that list as well.

"Davidoff is mine," I whispered, fists clenched as I tried to rein in my anger. "I'm going to kill that bastard myself if it's the last thing I do."

Simon nodded in agreement and put his hand over mine before asking Andrew, "What about your plan? What did it involve that Lauren disagreed with so strongly?"

"I thought that was obvious," he said. "I was tired of running and hiding - everyone knew Davidoff was a madman that needed to be stopped, but nobody was brave enough to step forward and volunteer to do the job…. except the rebels. So I joined up with them, hoping that we'd be the ones to take down the Edison Group once and for all."

His idea sounded great, but I knew things hadn't gone as planned – I knew from Derek that the rebels had been struggling to get the advantage over the Edison Group, but they always seemed to be a few steps ahead of the game….

"But couldn't you have combined your plans?" Simon asked, looking straight out the windshield. "Why didn't Lauren take Chloe and the rest of us into hiding while the rebels fought the Edison Group? We could've been safe and avoided all the shit that's happened in the past couple of months, and Lauren wouldn't be their hostage now!"

I looked out the window, watching as the road became more and more unfamiliar while I waited to hear Andrew's explanation. We'd been driving for over an hour now, and I didn't recognize any of the surrounding area we were venturing into – there were hardly any trees along the road, and all I could see for miles was the highway we were on.

"It's not that simple, Simon," Andrew said. "And Lauren knew what she was doing…. Didn't your dad explain this to you? The rebels' were fighting as hard as they could, but we weren't getting anywhere; we needed some sort of advantage over the Edison Group. We knew that they were planning to use you kids as these 'ultimate destructive forces', so we figured if we could find you and bring you over to our side-"

"You… want to use us as weapons?" I whispered, unable to believe what he was saying. When he didn't deny what I'd said, I saw red. "But that was the whole point of escaping from those guys!" I said, furious. "We're not going to be used as weapons in this fucked-up war, Andrew!"

He seemed stunned by my outburst and didn't reply until a few moments of silence had elapsed. "Chloe…" he began, his tone gentle, "you don't understand. We _need _you guys, or else we might as well surrender right now. These past few months we haven't stood a chance, kid – you guys are our last hope for defeating the Edison Group!"

"So your last resort is throwing some teenagers at the Edison Group and waiting to see who the last one left standing is? Do you really expect us to survive when we're up against the entire group?"

"Chloe, it's not going to be like that! The rebels are going to be fighting right alongside you!" He smiled at me in the rearview mirror, trying to ease some of my worries. It didn't work, but I decided to change the subject rather than argue, because in the end, I knew we'd have to fight anyway… especially if I was going to get my way and be the one to end Davidoff's life.

And who was I kidding? I _wanted _to fight, dammit! I wanted to punch and kick and injure anyone who'd had anything to do with what happened to Derek. I would get my own revenge no matter the cost.

"Where are we going?" I asked, looking out into the night. I could hardly see anything, save for the approaching storm clouds.

"The rebel headquarters," Andrew replied. "It's our base of operations. The building was donated by one of the original leaders of the rebellion before he was killed by…" He trailed off, but I knew what he had been about to say: _"… by Davidoff"_.

Simon didn't say anything, so I nudged him with my elbow to get his attention. "What do you think? Have you ever heard of this place?" I asked, keeping my voice hushed so that Andrew couldn't hear me.

"I think my dad told me about it once," Simon whispered back. "Apparently there are spells around the entire perimeter to keep out any unwanted visitors."

"Has anyone ever broken in?" I asked, not trusting the description – it sounded too good to be true.

"I don't think so – I'm pretty sure it's never happened during this war, but it could've happened before…." he rationalized.

I nodded before letting out an enormous yawn, the adrenalin having finally exited my system. "If you're tired, Chloe, there's a blanket and an old pillow in the back," Andrew told me, hooking his thumb over his shoulder. Instead I leaned against Simon, who put his arm around me. "Try to sleep and I'll get some more information out of him," he whispered in my ear. "It's gunna take a while to get there – at least a couple of hours."

I closed my eyes in response; I was asleep within seconds.

* * *

What felt like a minute later, I was being shaken awake gently by Simon. "Wake up, Chloe! We're here," he whispered. It took me a while to remember where 'here' was supposed to be, but once I did, all traces of fatigue disappeared from my system.

I got my first look at the place the minute I stepped out of the van. It was nothing like I'd imagined - instead of a high-tech, modern-looking building, I found myself staring up at an old Victorian mansion, complete with what I was sure were gargoyles and a bell tower. Simon was attempting to support an unconscious Tori, but he still managed to stop and get a good luck at the house's exterior. "Holy shit," he whispered in excitement, "Is it just me, or does the rebels' HQ look like Hogwarts?"

Andrew chuckled, coming to stand beside us with his hands in his pockets. "It just looks old from the outside," he assured us. "Inside it's modern, and its got everything we could ever need."

"It doesn't even look like it has electricity," Simon said under his breath. "Are you sure it's safe, Andrew?" he said a little louder.

"Of course," he said. "It may not look like it, but this house is being protected by dozens of protective enchantments – we've created an almost impassible barrier to keep out any unwelcome visitors," he boasted, sounding more than a little proud of his contributions.

A question floated through my mind and, moments later, Simon voiced it: "Then how were _we_ able to get in so easily?"

"Simple, Simon: You're with me, and I've allowed you inside with me – thereby revealing the location to you and adding you kids to the small number of people who are allowed in and out. Now you guys can come and go as you please…" he paused, turning to smile at us, "… although I do recommend, for the sake of your safety, that you stay inside the barrier."

And with that, he led us up the driveway and into the house.

Inside, the house was everything you would imagine a high-tech base of operations to look like: there were dozens of computer screens on every wall, each being manned by what appeared to be an extremely stressed out individual. There were people rushing back and forth, all looking like they had somewhere important to be and important things to do. Andrew stepped forward into the middle of the hustle and bustle and called out, "Can we get a stretcher over here, stat? We've got a kid here who's been injured in battle!" You could hear the authoritative edge to his voice, and almost immediately a stretcher – pushed by someone who was wearing scrubs and a stethoscope - appeared next to Simon.

He carefully laid Tori onto it, then turned to me. "Chloe, I think I'm gunna go up with her if it's okay with you – just to make sure she'll be alright and everything," Simon assured me, sounding almost as if he was asking for permission.

"S-sure Simon..." I stumbled over the word, having been caught off guard. He nodded and followed the nurse who'd just left with Tori in tow. I was left alone with Andrew.

He smiled but didn't say anything, and for a moment I wished that Simon hadn't left to check on Tori – the tension was so palpable between Andrew and I that I was at a complete loss for words. _Should I apologize for yelling at him earlier? _I wondered. _Is he waiting for me to say something? _Thankfully, a moment later Andrew cleared his throat. "Since you'll be here with us for a while, I think it'd be good for you to go upstairs and choose a room for yourself and Tori," he suggested. "Just go up the stairs – all the bedrooms on the first floor are unoccupied at the moment, so you'll have your pick!" The way he said it made it seem like he thought he was offering me a treat or something; I was tempted to ask Andrew if he really thought I cared what my room looked like at a time like this, but decided it probably wouldn't help to relieve the tension between us.

"Okay," I mumbled, heading towards the stairs I'd spotted on my way in.

* * *

Andrew had been right about the rooms - there were dozens to choose from, each with a mishmash of unmatched furniture and linens that suggested the place had been furnished thanks to the contributions of a multitude of benefactors. The walls were wood paneled, making the place seem older – a huge contrast from the bottom floor, where everything looked like it'd just come out of the box – and most of the rooms were carpeted with a dull green that was probably brand new in the eighties... But despite the amount of rooms and the decor, the upper level still felt cozy.

Although my choices were in no way limited, I ended up choosing the room closest to the stairs because it had two beds instead of one; I figured that it would be good to have it in the off chance that Tori would want to bunk with me when she woke up.

_That is, if she ever wakes up..._

_Stop it!_

I shook my head, dispelling the pessimistic thoughts. _Tori will wake up. She has to_.

_She has to…_.

I sat down on my bed - the one closest to the door - and tried to pull myself together. _How could she do something so stupid? _I wondered. _She knew how dangerous it would be for her, and she still did it – risked her life just to protect us from those bastards after she followed us straight into that trap. And now she's unconscious and we have absolutely no idea what's going to happen to her after using that much power…. _I shuddered, picturing the destruction caused by Tori's monster spell – the amount of power she'd released had been as powerful as a bomb, creating a huge crater in the middle of the backyard and successfully knocking out every single Edison Group guard in the area – knowing that the only reason Tori was able to command such a huge amount of energy was because of the Edison Group's tweaking of our genes and her mixed supernatural heritage. _That's why the Edison Group wants her so badly_, I rationalized, imagining Tori fighting alongside Davidoff and her mother. _With the proper training, she could clear a battlefield in one go and not even break a sweat!_

I took a deep breath and rested my head in my hands, closing my eyes tightly in order to shut out the world - I needed to process everything that had happened to us in the past few days, and the only way I could do that would be to write it all out; pour it all out onto paper and sift through it before figuring out what exactly I was feeling and what I could do to fix things. In the past few days alone, I'd learned that my entire life had been built on a web of lies spun by the Edison Group; that they were the ones responsible for everything that had ever happened to me, from losing my parents to getting adopted by Andrew and Lauren to losing Derek. Now there was nothing left of the life they'd created for me - I'd lost everything, and soon I'd be forced to fight for my life against them. _They're responsible for all of this – altering our genes, murdering our loved ones – and all we've done so far is sit back and watch it happen. Well no more – they created us to be the perfect weapons in this war, and now there's nothing left to do but end it._

And only one thing was certain: they weren't going to take me alive. I was done being their pawn – the girl who obeys orders and can't protect herself from even the simplest of spells; the weak one.

I was going down fighting.

* * *

I decided things might look better after a couple of hours of sleep, so I shut the door, turned out the lights, and let reality fall away.

A few hours later there was a knock at the door, and a familiar voice drifted in from the hallway. "Chloe, it's Simon! Can I come in?"

Instead of answering, I got up, rubbed my eyes, and crossed the room, pulling the door open for him. "Hey Chlo!" Simon said, and judging by the tired look on his face, he was obviously making an effort to sound cheerful. "Andrew says it's time for dinner. Wanna come down with me?"

"Uh.. sure," I said, my brain still a little clouded by the remnants of sleep. I rubbed my eyes and stretched before following him out the door and into the hallway.

"How is she doing?" I asked as we descended the stairs, knowing he would understand who I meant. "Has there been any change …?"

He shook his head. "Nothing yet, but the shaman down there said her body probably just shut down because of all the energy she used during the battle," he summarized. "She could wake up once her body's rested in a few hours…" He trailed off, like he didn't quite believe it.

"Simon…" I whispered, "what she did… it can't be normal for spell-casters to do stuff like that, can it?"

I took his silence as a confirmation of my statement.

"Do you think that maybe it was because of-"

"it doesn't matter what I think, Chloe," he snapped. "If she doesn't wake up, we're to blame, no matter how she was able to do it."

"Don't you think I know that?" I said, matching his tone.

"All I'm saying is we shouldn't concentrate on that unle –until she wakes up," he said, his tone apologetic.

"Alright, I guess."

He didn't say anything else, so we spent the last few moments of our trek to the dining room in silence.

We followed the sounds of people chatting and chairs scraping against the hardwood to a door just off the kitchen. I was about to turn the knob when Simon put his hand over mine. "If anyone asks, downplay our abilities – dad said a lot of the members were scared that we were too dangerous to be left on our own," he warned. "Don't tell them about how you can raise things without a ritual, and if they ask about Tori…" he paused and bit his lip while thinking of what to say, "…. Just say there was an explosion or something caused by the Edison Group."

"But didn't you tell the shaman what happened?" I asked.

"I told him she was casting a lot of spells, not that she was responsible for the explosion," he explained.

I nodded, took a deep breath, and pushed open the door.

The effect was instantaneous – the moment we walked into the dining room, it was as if all the air had been sucked out, leaving everyone unable to speak. All the sounds we'd heard from outside the door disappeared within the span of two or three seconds as all eyes turned towards the genetically modified teens who'd just entered the room. Simon and I shot tight-lipped smiles to everyone in the room before rushing over to Andrew, who'd saved us both a seat next to him. "Chloe, Simon! We thought you guys were going to sleep through dinner!" He chuckled nervously and stood, pulling out our chairs for us. We sat down obediently and looked to Andrew, who was still standing, as he addressed the rest of the room. "These are two of the kids we rescued from the Edison Group – Kit's son Simon and Chloe, my adoptive daughter," he said, pointing to each of us when he said our names. The group unanimously said 'hello', followed by our names – it sounded a bit like the introductions to an Alcoholics Anonymous group session, and I would have laughed if it hadn't been for the fact that these people were planning on using my friends and I to win a war for them.

Once Andrew's introductions were over, we piled food onto our plates and started stuffing our faces. I couldn't remember the last time we'd had a proper meal outside of the Edison Group's headquarters - where the food had all been bland and tasteless anyway – and despite my being uncomfortable around the dozens of stranger in the room, my appetite was alive and well.

When we couldn't fit anything else into our stomachs, Simon and I asked to be excused so we could check on Tori. Andrew didn't seem too happy about the idea – he'd probably been wanting us to introduce ourselves further or tell our story to the entire group – but he let us go, informing us that 'lights out' was at 11 pm. Feeling like we were 5 years old again, we assured him we would be in bed by then before making our way to the infirmary.

* * *

Seeing Tori was like a slap in the face – she was shocking pale, and she looked extremely frail as she lay there with an I.V. tube snaking its way up her arm. I almost couldn't believe it at first, but it was definitely her…. and we were definitely the ones responsible for the state she was in. The look on Simon's face echoed my thoughts: Tori wouldn't be lying there unconscious if it weren't for us wanting to go back. We sat around her bed – one on each side – and stayed silent, each stuck in our own heads. I silently pleaded with whoever could be listening to let her wake up – _please, please, just let her be alright_ – and squeezed her hand, hoping it would comfort her a little and let her know I was thankful for what she'd done.

I looked over at Simon, but he had his eyes closed; I thought he might be praying as well, so I stood up and left, retracing our steps back up to my room. Once the door was locked, I sat cross-legged on the bed and closed my eyes, preparing to summon. I'd decided on a course of action on my way out of the infirmary, and it involved some intersession from beyond the grave… _Tori did what was in her power to save us, and now I'm going to do the same._I concentrated my thoughts on the beach and the waves and the crippling fear I felt whenever I visited the spirit world I'd dreamt about – the place where I'd met the demi-demon.

It was time to make another deal.

* * *

**A/N: *Smiles like an idiot because this is the first chapter she's finished and months and she feels accomplished*. **

**I hope you liked it! The next few are going to be intense (and a lot more exciting than this one, I swear!). Anyways, please leave some love for your friendly neighbourhood fanfic author, and wish me luck (I'm going to get my driver's license tomorrow).  
**

**PS. Review for this chapter = shout-out in the next chapter… just saying :P**


	29. Deals

**Author's Note**: See guys? I told you the wait wouldn't be too bad this time! What's it been, less than a month? That has to be a record or something! :P

First off, I'd like to thank everyone who wished me luck on my test – I'm proud to say I passed and am now the proud owner of a driver's license (kinda). Thank you for the support, everyone! And I'd also like to say congrats to Christina, who passed her road test and can now legally drive me to the bookstore (yay)!

Second, I owe some awesome people some shout-outs! Big cyber-hugs go out to: **new-Necro03** (it's for a copy of The Gathering that I'll be giving away soon, and I'll do what I can :P), **Alondra87** (I miss him too!), **suzi1811** (Thank you for your awesome reviews every chapter! I hope the wait wasn't too bad for this chapter), **Bloody Phantom** (lol! I think he would worry about Tori… not quite sure), **ceesy5** (they're still looking for Kit, but he's not as big of a priority right now. As for the other stuff – you just gotta wait and see, I'm afraid!), **Autumn O'Shea Swan** (*Steph tips her hat* Thank you for the awesome reviews every chapter! And you're right, she is definitely a fighter!), **iBook-95** (Thank you for the review! I wish it did… although I would probably go a little 'like'-happy!), **cowgirl137** (You have been waiting patiently, but what if it's for nothing?), **vampiremom1221** (Thank you so much! I'm glad to be back!), **jenaca** (I'm trying to write quickly, I swear!), **Smogle** (Thank you so much! And I know the last chapter was a little dry… hopefully the next ones are more exciting!), **SweetDreamzz3116** (Thank you for the support!), **moon-called-princess** (You say so little, yet so much!), **19furby85** (I'm anti super-long-waits-between-chapters too; sorry for the waits!), **LittleMissDreamer7** (I laughed so hard reading your review! Thank you so much!), **burning** (of course, I mean common now, she is the driving force behind this story!), **RenesmeeRedbird** (I know it wasn't great, but it was needed. This one is exciting though, I swear! And thank you!), **Kissed by a Demon **(I read the first line of your review and got all sad before I realized it kept going and that you were joking :P Thank you so much! And do I get those points now?), **xXChlerekXx** (Yes I did! And now I'm about to update again within the same month… it's a miracle in my books!), **DreamDark** (Thank you so much! I'm honoured to be your favourite :P), **shellybellypie **(I agree, Derek was definitely a BAMF!), **TillylovelifeO.o** (Thank you so, so much! And I will definitely keep updating if you sneak me more cookies! :D), (Thank you so much!), **Bookninja15 **(YOU IZ WOWNESS!), and finally, **suzy the (grumpy) anonymous reviewer** (I'm sorry you feel that way – I try to write each chapter to be entertaining, but if they seem like fillers to you, sweetie, you are welcome to STOP READING… just saying). Anyways, thank you all so much (even you, **suzy the meanie anonymous reviewer**)! *Sends pink cyber-ponies to everyone*

**IMPORTANT! ******** And third: What the heck is up with fanfic, guys? I was just reading through the last chapter and realized that there are a couple of paragraphs missing from the end! I've fixed it now (I think), but please take a minute to check back, read it, and lemme know if it's still stuck at the part before Simon & Chloe visit the infirmary, because this chapter will make no sense if you don't). *************

Thank you, darlings! I hope you enjoy this chapter.

* * *

**Disclaimer: After a year of putting it off, Steph has finally passed her driver's test, and to celebrate, she and Christina (who has also passed) decide to go for a drive.**

Christina: *Carefully handling the car like the awesome driver she is*  
So I was thinking: it's time to do something new and exciting for a change! I mean look at us! We passed our driver's tests – we're not the same people we were last week!

Steph: *Confused*  
What are you talking about? I'm still the same person I was last week; the only difference is now I have a learner's permit and can drive (provided, of course, that there is a licensed adult in the vehicle between the hours of 5am – 11pm)!

Christina: Don't say that! You're different now, I swear! You're not the same girl who used to spend hours writing fan fiction about stories she didn't own! And you don't even react anymore when you see huskies or golden retrievers or—

Steph: *Points to a spot in the distance*  
Do you see that? It's a black wolf!  
*Turns to Christina with a crazy look in her eyes*  
It's Derek! I knew it! He's been following us - we can't let him escape!  
*Jerks the steering wheel so the car turns sharply, then somehow manages to push down on the gas pedal*

Christina: *Screaming*  
YOU DELUSIONAL IDIOT! IF YOU GET US KILLED, I'M GOING TO MURDER YOU!  
*Car begins to spin out of control*

* * *

**Deals  
**

"If you make a deal with the devil, you're bound to get burned."

-Anonymous

* * *

Summoning the demi-demon had never been so difficult.

I knew it was going to be a challenge before I'd even begun – I was summoning a demon, after all, which would definitely take more effort than calling forth a mere ghost – but even when I'd managed to direct all my thoughts to summoning the demon, it didn't feel like enough. I knew she was resisting me, especially after our last encounter, but it wasn't a very comforting thought, knowing she had the upper hand in this situation; she would only appear if there was something in it for her, and my stomach turned just thinking about what that could possibly be. My mind was still reeling from seeing Tori, and I had tons of energy with no useful way to get rid of it all. I felt jittery and nervous – almost like I'd drunk too much coffee and was working off a caffeine buzz. Coupled with the fact that I had to ramp up my power while simultaneously reining it in, and I was so frustrated that I probably would've snapped at some innocent passer-by.

But there was an advantage to all of this: my power was escalated by my frustration, and my summons became harder for the demon to ignore. And I wasn't quitting. I knew that if I pursued this, the demon would _have _to appear – even if she only meant to tell me she wasn't interested in my offer.

Amazingly, it worked.

After almost an hour of deep, nerve-wracking concentration, I felt the familiar gust of warm air against my neck and heard the demon's twinkling, maniacal laughter fill the room. "My dear child," she practically purred, "were you calling out for lil' old me? I would have answered sooner, but I distinctly remember you sending me away after I showed you - "

I wasn't in the mood for her bullshit, so I cut her off abruptly, pushing away the memory of the night she'd described. "I need to make a deal," I said simply.

She laughed again, genuinely amused by what I'd said. "How forward of you!" Another laugh, before, "My dear girl, what makes you think I would want to make a deal with the likes of _you_?" She laughed like it was the funniest thing she'd ever heard, and I felt myself shrinking, becoming the stupid, defenseless little girl I probably seemed like to her.

_That's what she wants, _I realized. _She's trying to make me feel like I don't have any power so I offer her more than I have to. _

"Enough," I commanded. "You and I both know that you have thousands of uses for me. All I'm asking for is a trade – a service performed for a service performed."

"And what type of service would this entail?" she asked. "Because there are limits to what I can do for you, _necromancer_." You could practically hear the sneer in her voice, and I would've bet money that the look on her face – if she even had one – was that of contempt.

"Could you heal someone?" I asked, working hard to keep my voice level.

"Of course … but the price, as you would imagine, is quite high, especially given the state of your friend's health… she is the one you wish to heal, correct?"

I felt sick for a second. _Just how high is this price? _I bit my lip, trying not to reveal how worried I was.

_And if it's too high… will I be able to go through with it?_

I rolled my eyes, hoping she hasn't noticed anything amiss. "Yes, she is. _Obviously_. But what is it you will want from me in return?" I kept my tone casual, knowing that sounding too serious would make her think I was willing to do whatever it took to save Tori.

_Even though I am…._

"What would you have to do on your end, you mean?" She paused for a moment, "Well, I'd like to think you'd do something equally difficult for me, Chloe: I have some friends who are waiting for release them from their bindings; I think that would be a fair trade, as far as deals go..."

The way she said it, I knew she was bluffing, trying to see what I'd be willing to do. So I showed her.

"No fucking way," I said bluntly. "There is no way in hell-"

"Precisely where they are, actually-"

"- that'd I'd ever agree to releasing another demon into this world. You're going to have to pick something else."

"You're mistaken; _I_ don't have to do anything," she said, her tone both sickly sweet and threatening. "You seem to have forgotten that _you're _the one who needs _my_ help - I'm doing you a favour here, Chloe, not the other way around."

"So you _are_ going to do this?" I asked incredulously.

She sighed, her annoyance evident in her tone. "I believe I made it clear that I will help your friend if you agree to my terms…."

"How about these _terms_: you help Tori and pick a less _unethical_ task for me, or I'll banish you to the farthest layer of hell I can manage. Sound like a plan?" I kept my voice as level as possible, hoping my threat would work. If it didn't, I had pissed off yet another evil spirit – not a good idea.

The demon laughed, and a warm breeze fluttered past my ear, stirring my hair. "And what if you've pissed me off enough that I pretend to help and injure your friend just to spite you, hmm?"

The hairs on the back of my neck stood up – I hadn't considered that she might just pretend to help me and do something horrible to Tori. If she was going to use her magic on Tori, I had to make sure she did exactly what I told her to do and nothing else. "Then I'll … summon you inside a demon's circle," I told her, struggling to remember what little information Derek had told me about trapping a demon. "And I'll leave you there to rot, forever."

"My my, we've been doing our homework, haven't we? I would never have expected such a nice girl to know about things like those foul _demon circles _– incredibly annoying things, as if it makes sense for a few chalk lines to be able to ensnare the power of a hell…"

"Are you going to heal Tori?" I inquired, tired of listening to her rambling on.

"I suppose I'll have to…" she replied, sounding like she'd finally given up. "I admire you, girl – you've gone from a naïve young fool to quite the business woman in a very short amount of time. Our side could use necromancers such as yourself; you know, we're always looking to recruit-"

"Cut the crap and go heal Tori," I ordered.

"Oh, I will. But see here – what I do won't have any effect _whatsoever_ if you don't hold up your end of the bargain."

I growled under my breath. "Did we not just go through this? I told you I wouldn't raise your stupid demon friends-"

"And then you told me to pick another task for you to perform," she reminded me. "And I have: in approximately half an hour, I want you to be in front of the barrier around this property. You must stay there until I tell you otherwise. Understood?"

"Why…?" I began, trying to make sense of her outlandish request. I knew it was probably some sort of trap, but I figured it could be a sort of payback, too – I had threatened to trap her, and now, in a way, she was trapping _me_, forcing me to remain outside in the dark (where I would, no doubt, be incredibly uncomfortable), unprotected and completely exposed. I would be a sitting duck out there.

"You'll see," was all she said. Immediately she disappeared, her laugh still ringing in my ears even after the room had fallen silent.

* * *

I only had 30 minutes, so I began to prepare.

First, since I knew I was going to be outside for a while, I checked inside the closet for clothing – there was nothing there or in the dresser's drawers, so I unzipped my backpack and retrieved Derek's hoodie. I pulled it on over my head and tried to clear my mind, trying to keep the thoughts of him at bay so I could concentrate. I had a bit of a headache, so my next stop was the kitchen to raid the medicine cabinet for _Tylenol_.

I tip-toed down the stairs, praying that I didn't meet any of the rebels on my way down – I knew I'd look suspicious to them, and I'd rather not have to explain what I was doing (and why) to someone who already thought I was dangerous. Thankfully, I made it down the stairs and into the kitchen without running into anyone, so I proceeded to the medicine cabinet. The _Tylenol _was one of the first things I found in the cabinet, amidst the remnants of half-finished prescriptions and expired vitamins that every medicine cabinet seems to accumulate. There were also a few glass bottles without labels, but I was too busy to ponder what might be inside them. After taking the pills, I exited the kitchen, shoving a bottle of water into my bag on my way out.

And then I just… stepped out the door.

I braced for the chimes of an alarm system, or for someone to ask where I was going, but apparently my worrying had all been in vain – absolutely_ nothing_ happened. I'd been expecting something to appear – maybe I was too early? – but the yard and the surrounding area remained as calm as they'd been before I stepped out.

I looked around and surveyed the property, unsure of where I was supposed to be – I couldn't _see _the barrier, and I had no idea how far out the blanket of protective spells extended. I did, however, know that it was extremely dark, and cold, and that it was only a matter of time before I tripped over some unseen obstacle and injured myself the way only klutzes such as I seemed to manage to do.

I closed the door behind me carefully and walked forward into the darkness, mentally cursing the demi-demon for forcing me outside at the darkest time of night - those few hours before the crack of dawn that you can't even seen your own hand in front of your face – without proper instructions.

_I'm alone. Outside. At night. Waiting for a demon to come tell me what to do. _I shook my head. _ If this were a movie, this would be the point where something jumps out and starts chasing the heroine …._

I stopped dead in my tracks to look around, scared by my own thoughts. I couldn't see a thing in the dark, and the pale glow cast by the moon wasn't strong enough to light up the yard enough for me to be able to see where I was going. I was tempted for a moment to go back inside and forget the whole thing – give up on the demon's deal, cut my losses – but the image of Tori lying in that bed in the infirmary was burned into my head, and envisioning her waking up strengthened my resolve. _She almost killed herself trying to buy you and Simon some time to escape. Don't you think she was afraid as well? She was, but she still did what she had to do… and so do you._

So I started walking again, this time not allowing myself to think about what could be lurking in the forest around me. _Does every freaking mysterious moment come with a dark, spooky forest?_ I wondered, thinking back to all the old horror films I'd ever watched. I pondered as I walked, trying not to let myself concentrate on the fact that I was, at that moment, right smack in the middle of a dark, spooky forest, without any idea what I was doing there. After a few more minutes of walking, I felt a warm blast of air on the back of my neck and stopped. "Are you going to tell me why the hell you brought me out here?" I called, not sure which direction I should direct my question to.

"You are standing exactly five feet from the edge of the protective barrier," the demi-demon said, ignoring me as if I hadn't said anything at all. "Do you see the barrier, child?"

"No," I said truthfully, trying to mentally estimate the distance.

She sighed, then, "Concentrate, child; imagine it appearing before you, clear as day, and the glamour will disappear."

"Glamour?" I asked, squinting in concentration. I tried wiping my mind clear of everything and closing my eyes, willing the barrier to become visible.

"It's an illusion used by supernaturals to hide something they do not wish the mortals to see," she explained, sounding like an impatient parent. "With a glamour and a few deflection spells, you can hide something as large as a country in plain sight. Mortals are known for their ignorance, you know – people see only what they wish to see."

I opened my eyes, gasped, and took a step back, not believing what I was seeing.

I was inside the barrier, standing at the edge of what appeared to be a large glass dome; it wasn't glass, though. Upon closer inspection, I realized the dome itself was made of what looked like brightly coloured wisps of smoke and droplets of water, all intermingling and held up by some unseen force. Sparks of electricity crackled along the inside, jumping from wisp of smoke to wisp of smoke and passing through the water droplets like they were nothing.

If it hadn't been so terrifying, it would have been really beautiful.

I could tell each colour of smoke was a different spell, and the fact that there appeared to be over 20 different colours comforted me slightly. _No one could get through this thing without being invited in. We're completely safe as long as we're inside the barrier._

"It is quite pretty, isn't it?" the demon noted. I nodded, transfixed, wondering how long it had taken the group to create the barrier. It must have required both witch and sorcerer magic, along with rituals and -

"Cross through it," the demon whispered against my neck.

I spun even though I knew there was no one there. "Are you _crazy_?" I asked, pointing to the barrier, my tone defiant. "You want me to walk through that thing, in the middle of the night, when there are people trying to _kill_ me?" I shook my head. "Nu uh. No. Way. You were trapped in that lab for too long, because you have _obviously _lost your mind!"

The demon made a disappointed clicking noise with her tongue. "My dear child, it's a _simple_ request – exit the barrier and remain outside for a mere 20 minutes - I would have thought that you would do everything in your power to keep from letting _another _friend die for you…." She yawned obnoxiously, feigning tiredness. "Well, it's late – I'll be going now, if you are sure you don't wish to fulfill your end of the bargain."

I clenched my fist as her words replayed inside my head. _Letting another friend die for me … _was I the kind of person who would step back and let others fight for her, watch others take risks while I stood back and watched things play out? Was I that type of person? A little voice inside me whispered, _no, of course not!_, but I knew the answer already. The real question was this: was I really going to let my friend suffer because I was _afraid_?

"I'll do it," I whispered. I took a deep breath and stepped forward, perching myself directly in front of the wall of smoke.

"Good choice," she said, her voice filled with false enthusiasm. "Do this, and your friend will awaken, healthy as a horse-" I nodded, content with what she was describing, "—but you must continue this every day for three days before it becomes permanent, and you must ensure that you remain outside the barrier for the full stretch of time."

"What? When did this become part of the deal?" I demanded, furious. "I thought I only had to do it once and she'd be healed!"

The demon chuckled, making the hair on the back of my neck stand on end. "I never mentioned how many times, you silly girl," she said, overjoyed with the discomfort she'd caused me.

"You evil son of a bi-"

"Goodbye now, Chloe!" she called, her sing-song voice retreating. "And remember dear: I'll be watching!"

She laughed once more before I felt her presence leave the yard.

* * *

I was back at square one, standing outside in the dark, practically blind and most definitely defenseless. The only difference was this: I knew what I had to do… even if it made no sense _whatsoever_.

_So why don't you do it then? Once you do what she wants, we can go back inside! _

_Because there could be a hundred Edison Group guards waiting on the other side? _There wasn't, of course – I could see through the barrier as if it was a window, and nothing lay on the other side of the smoke but some grass and a few trees.

So why couldn't I will myself to step forward?

_You're being an idiot_, my inner voice taunted. _You're making a huge deal out of this for nothing!_

It felt as though I was, but logic kept nagging at me: _why would she want me to do this if she had nothing to gain from it?_

_She just wants to see if you trust her, _my inner voice supplied.

But I didn't trust the demon – that was the problem. I'd learned my lesson the last time after she'd abandoned me in the halls of the Edison Group's headquarters during our escape. I _knew_, without a doubt, that the demon had something to gain from this… even if I couldn't figure out what exactly that could be yet.

I heard the demon's voice in my head, the memory of what she'd said replaying again. _Do it for Tori. Do it for your friend._

I stepped forward, through the smoke and out the other side. The feeling of air get sucked out of my lungs was confounding, but I felt better the minute my feet touched the ground on the other side. I tensed, waiting for something to jump out at me.

Nothing. I took a step forward.

_This isn't so bad_, I thought. _A few minutes of this a night is a small price to pay for Tori's health. I can't believe I was afraid to step out of the barrier – it's not like something's gunna jump out and scream 'boo!'…._

I stopped, hearing the sound of a twig snapping as it echoed through the forest.

_Oh fuck._

I stood perfectly still, not daring to breathe in case there was something listening. The first thing that came to mind was the mysterious spirit that had chased me through the forest after we'd escaped from the Edison Group's headquarters, but the feeling was all wrong. This was something new – something I'd never experienced before; a fresh challenge for the idiotic necromancer who let herself get lured into dangerous situations like these.

Behind me, the sparks crackled between the curls of magical energy, taunting me: _It's safe back here, but you can't come in yet. Sucker!_

I focused my gaze, forcing myself to look straight out in front of me. For a few more minutes, there was nothing, and I tried to convince myself that I'd just been hearing some sort of animal indigenous to these types of places – a squirrel or a chipmunk or something. _I'm just being my usual jumpy self, paranoid to the extreme. There is nothing in the woods that could hurt me; and besides, I only have a few more minutes to go before I can retreat into the safety of the protective spells…_

Just when I was beginning to feel better, the sounds of wolves howling penetrated the silence of the night.

I froze in place, and I swear for a second my heart stopped beating. _It's just a few wolves out hunting_, I assured myself. _Just some animals looking for their next meal. The circle of life and all that, right?_ _It doesn't matter that they sound close – sound travels in the forest, doesn't it? _

Less than two minutes later, I spotted a pair of eyes peering at me from a few meters away, the body completely obscured by shadows. I held my breath again, trying not to panic. _They're just normal animals looking for food… completely normal for them to be hunting at this time of the night, right?_

A second pair of eyes joined the first, the bodies forming an isosceles triangle with me as the tip. Amazingly enough, my mind was processing this all as it was happening, but I refused to believe it – it couldn't be happening. Not to me. Not now.

It just _couldn't_.

I knew I should run – put as much distance between myself and them as I could. I also knew that it was impossible for them to have found me so fast, if they were in fact just animals looking for food. But all I found myself thinking was: _them having practically human eyes is perfectly norma—_

The wolves stepped out of the shadows, and I started to run.

* * *

**A/N: I'm hoping this one didn't suck too much… please let me know what you thought of it! The next chapter will have shout-outs as well, in case I missed someone the last time, so reviews still = shout-out in next chapter! :)**

**Thank you all for all the support!**


	30. Illusions

**Author's Note**: Well hello there! It hasn't been very long since my last update, so I don't have much to say…

First off, I'd like to say thank you to everyone who reviewed the last chapter! I'm so grateful to each and every one of you! This amazing group of people includes: **TwilightGurl4Lyfe** (I'm terrified of fangirls, and I swear, I would never purposely run Derek over!), **Mardelzor** (your theory is intriguing :P and I'm sorry for making you cry!), **OriannaKnox** (thank you so much! I hope the chapters meet your expectations!), **MyCrystallineHeart** (Thank you so much! I promise to keep updating!), **moon-called-princess** (I'm gunna start my own book soon – I'll let you know if it ever gets published and you can go out and get it :P), **Autumn O'Shea Swan** (yep, wolves always = promising! And I agree, Chloe is quite the trouble-magnet), **Alondra87** (You are the definition of subtle! :P And I can tell you're a fellow Canadian, eh?), **TillylovelifeO.o** (Yep, Chloe getting eaten by wolves would kinda suck… not to mention effectively end the story), **Taste the Rainbow- Or Else** (well, it really depends what kind of cereal you mean… but I am cereal, I'm afraid… and thank you so much! I try really hard not to be annoying :P Glad you like ma style! *Puts on her swag sunglasses*), **new-Necro03** (no problem! And we can hope they do… it's either that or they eat her, basically), **xXChlerekXx** (I think so… read this chapter to find out for sure lol), **Bookninja15** (they definitely need to invent another word for cliffhanger, I think! And thank you!), **suzi1811** (Thank you so much! The demon is definitely up to something… and there is definitely something off about those wolves! ;) I'll try to update sooner, I promise!), **SweetDreamzz3116** (You're very welcome, my dear! And it could be… but I'm not saying a word :P), **vampiremom1221** (It would probably take a miracle… but miracles happen, right? Hopefully you don't have to wait too long to find out if they happen for Chloe!), **NobodyLikeMe** (I'll try! And thank you for the review!), **19furby85** (I'm allergic to cliffhangers too, but they seem to be popping up everywhere these days! :P), **Bleeding Hearts98** (I get the sense that you really like Derek… am I right? :D), **RenesmeeRedbird** (Thank you so much! I hope the rest are exciting too – lemme know!), **jenaca** (I can neither confirm or deny your conspiracy theory lol :P), **.X** (Thank you so much! And those touch screens are evil!), **LittleMissDreamer7** (Lol I won't tell! And yes, I did bring you your chapter :) And you're going to have to worry for a little bit longer, I'm afraid, no spoilers here :D), **cowgirl137** (Thanks for having faith in me! Hope I don't disappoint!), and **LilliSouza**. You guys all ROCK, and I'm so glad I have amazing readers like yourselves! Next chapter I won't have a big shout-out like this – instead I'm going to answer each and every review individually, because I love chatting with you guys and it's been a while :) Leave me a review if you want to talk! I answer questions … sometimes :P A huge thank-you goes out to my bestest buddy **burning..** – she's the Dumbledore to my Harry Potter, and I definitely couldn't have gotten this story this far without her help! See you in Pottermore! :D

And also… Christina gets some cred too :P (Notice I said 'some'? Little miss Christina informed me she would like to take full credit, but as I reminded her, she only writes the disclaimers… sometimes).

Anyways, I'm going to stop rambling now and let you guys read! Enjoy!

* * *

**Disclaimer: The girls are in the hospital recovering from the crash that Steph's risky behavior caused …**

Christina: *Is in full-body cast, and is extremely angry*  
I can't believe you, Steph! I mean you've done some stupid, thoughtless things in your life, but this one takes the cake!  
*Wiggles around, trying to hit Steph, but can't reach*  
The minute I get out of this thing, I'm coming after you! You'll rue the day you did this; rue it, I say!

Steph: *Defensive*  
Common Chris, it was an honest mistake! How was I supposed to tell the difference between a squirrel and a werewolf from that far away, huh?  
*Pouts and lowers voice*  
I'm just sad that we didn't get to see Derek! I thought for sure it was him this time …

Christina: ARE YOU_ KIDDING_ ME? After all the pain you caused me, all you care about is the fact that we didn't get to meet a fictional character from a series you don't even own?  
*Starts swearing like a trucker at Steph and thrashing against the cast*

Steph: *Scarred, starts backing up from bed*  
I think maybe you need your meds now – I'll get the nurse!  
*Presses call button for nurse, who immediately enters the room with a syringe*

Christina: NO! I don't want drugs; I want to strangle my dim-witted cousin! Let me out of this stupid cast!  
*Tries to move, but the nurse injects her with the pain-killers and she falls asleep*

Steph: *Watches Christina with a sad smile*  
I really hope she feels better soon!

* * *

Illusions

"_There are no such illusions quite so pretty as those that – once shattered - have the ability to destroy us."_

-Anonymous

* * *

You know that scene in every horror film where the heroine is running away from the killer, and she does all sorts of stupid things like fall, trip over rocks and tree roots, and sprains her ankle? Every time I've ever watched a scene like that, all I could think was, "How dumb do you have to be to get caught? The killer's practically walking and you can't run for a few minutes without sustaining injuries?"

Apparently it has nothing to do with intelligence and _everything _to do with how terrified you are.

My legs couldn't seem to find purchase in the damp soil, and the faster I tried to run, the harder it got to do so. I could swear for a moment that I actually went so slow that I could feel myself going _backwards_. My heart was beating a thousand times per minute, and it felt like it was straining against my chest in an attempt to escape itself. I could feel the adrenaline flowing through my veins, propelling me forward, but for all it was worth, I hardly seemed to be getting anywhere. While I ran, I mentally cursed the demi-demon, calling her every bad name I had in my repertoire. She'd obviously known this was going to happen – she'd probably orchestrated the entire thing just so she could finish me off and eradicate my power over her.

_Stupid, stupid Chloe – did you really think she was going to do something for you out of the kindness of her heart? She's a DEMON, for crying out loud! A certified servant of hell! Did you really think you could _trust _her?_

No, I hadn't trusted the demon – but I had hoped she would make this easy for the both of us…

_She thrives on chaos and destruction; this is probably her definition of easy: letting you get eaten by those wolves._

Point taken.

I ran like a bat out of hell (no pun intended) but it was no use – I could hear the wolves' footfalls getting closer by the second. It sounded as if they were no more than ten paces behind me, and my stores of energy were depleting rapidly. There was no way out except to re-enter the barrier…

And according to my watch, I still had six minutes left.

I was _beyond _screwed.

I started to pray, then stopped myself. _I just made a deal with a demon… I seriously doubt anyone up there wants to help me out right now._

So with nothing left to do, I did the only thing I _could _do – I kept running, ignoring the protesting cries coming from my aching legs. I forced my mind to go blank as I directed all of my energy to the movement of my legs. Every breath I took sounded like thunder to my ears, but I never slowed. For a few shining moments, I was actually hopeful that I would make it through this ordeal and live to tell the tale…

I should've known better.

One of the wolves came rushing towards me from the side, and I had no time to change direction. He – I don't know how I knew it was a male, but I did – plowed into me. I went down, crumpling like a piece of paper under the tremendous weight of the beast. I felt the its warm, foul breath on my face for a second and gagged as the stench of rotting meat surrounded me. Then a bark echoed through the trees, and the weight of the huge grey beast disappeared as it stepped off of me. I swallowed, feeling a surge of hope – _maybe they aren't going to eat me after all? _– before I recalled another tidbit of information about wolf behavior learned from Derek: the alpha always eats first.

I scrambled up off my back, supporting myself with my elbows. I couldn't see a damned thing except the flashlight I'd been holding as I ran – I'd dropped it when the wolf tackled me, and it lay beside me now, flickering feebly. I looked up, and my eyes met the gaze of the wolf who'd pinned me. His eyes bore into mine, watching me for any sign of an escape attempt on my part. The message was clear: _don't even think about trying to escape. The only reason you're still breathing is because my buddy wants to finish you off himself._

The other wolf stepped out from behind a tree and began its walk towards me; I knew I was done for then.

I was trapped, pinned, and powerless – summoning would be pointless.

It was all over. All of it – the fighting, the running, the escapes, the pain and the sacrifices – had all been for nothing. I was going to die here like a rabbit that'd strayed too close to the den of a hungry bear. And how much more ironic could the situation be – for me to be murdered by wolves when the boy I loved would have been one himself?

I closed my eyes, bracing for the moment it all went out – the flame I'd been ineffectually protecting for so long; the end of my existence.

I took one final breath as the alpha closed in on me. _I guess I'll be seeing you sooner than I thought, D._

I prepared myself for the impact and the feel of the wolf's sharp teeth against my neck – I'd heard somewhere that wolves killed by going for the throat – but it never came. Amazed, I said a quick prayer, thanking the Fates or whoever was responsible for the mercy of a quick and painless death. I was anxious for the moment when I'd see Derek again, but just thinking about how my death would affect Simon and Tori dampened my spirits. I felt guilty for leaving them behind, but I knew there was nothing I could do for them now. Simon and Tori and the rest of the rebels would have to make do without me… but seeing as I hadn't really done anything particularly useful anyway, I didn't think it would be that big of a problem.

_But what about Tori? Will the demon still heal her?_

I didn't think she would – after all, if she was spiteful enough to kill me, why wouldn't she be spiteful enough to let Tori die, too. And even if she didn't cure Tori, I'd find someone here on the other side to do it – there had to be a shaman in limbo somewhere, right? Couldn't their spirits still perform the same type of healing magic?

_And speaking of healing… should my ankle be throbbing? Isn't there some rule against pain after death or something?_

My eyes shot open as it dawned on me: I could still hear the sounds of the forest – the wind rustling the leaves and the crickets chirping – and smell the grass and the wet soil beneath me. I wasn't dead … yet.

The disappointment hit me like a speeding car.

I was indeed still in the forest. My flashlight still lay next to me, illuminating the tops of my mud-caked sneakers and not much else other than a few feet of forest in front of me. I could hear the sounds of a fight: growling and barking and rustling, so I stood up shakily and followed the noises, hoping the wolves would be sufficiently distracted so that I could escape. The throbbing in my injured ankle was getting worse by the minute, and if I wasn't able to get back inside the safe-zone soon, I would probably pass out.

My original assumption had been that the two wolves had begun to fight amongst themselves – that perhaps the submissive wolf had gotten tired of being just that. But what I glimpsed through the tree as I tried to find my way back to the barrier didn't support that theory: the two wolves who'd caught me earlier _were_ fighting… just not with _each other_.

Amazed, I stopped to watch, transfixed by what I was seeing. There was a third wolf now, but he didn't seem to be following orders from the Alpha. He had black fur so dark that he seemed to disappear into the shadows cast by the trees overhead. It had its back to me, but even from where I stood I could tell it was powerful – it was single-handedly fighting off both wolves at once … and by the looks of it, the black wolf was winning.

They growled at each other, the black wolf and the hunter snapping their jaws while the Alpha pulled his lips back in a terrifying snarl. I could hardly see their shapes in the dark as the fighting intensified – all I could make out clearly was the whites of their teeth and their eyes and blurs of different coloured fur. I watched in fascination – a sort of trance, I guess – wondering which side would come out victorious.

_Uh, it's getting late. How long do you intend to sit here watching this? Those things are going to tear each other apart and have you for desert!_

I ripped my eyes away from the action to glance down at my watch: my time was up and I was free to go back inside… the only problem was that my legs were rooted to the ground and I couldn't will them to move. I knew I should be getting out of there as fast as possible – especially now that the wolves had sensed me nearby – but I couldn't leave. Not without knowing if the black wolf managed to take out the others for me.

Because if they were coming back for me tomorrow, I was going to be ready.

I returned my attention to the scene in front of me: the ones who'd hunted me were wearing down as they expended more and more energy, their actions becoming less strategical and more desperate each time the black wolf landed a blow. After a few more minutes the Alpha still looked fine – no major scars or injuries – but his subordinate looked like he'd gotten into a fight with a chainsaw and lost: there were chunks of flesh missing from his right flank, and his fur was damp with blood.

"Vicious little creatures, aren't they?" the demi-demon's voice echoed in my mind. I cringed, then tried my best to mentally shove her out of my head. She laughed, but this time the sound came from somewhere above me and sounded like it held an undertone of malice. "Careful with those powers, child! You wouldn't want to rouse any unfortunate souls now would you? You never know what could be buried in these woods."

I stopped immediately, not taking my eyes off the fight, and she chuckled. "You know dear, there was no need to be so rude about it! I would have left if you had asked _nicely_…"

I turned my attention away from the battle for a moment. "_Nicely_?" I repeated. "You expect me to ask '_NICELY' _after you tried to get me _killed_?"

She clicked her tongue disappointedly. "Tsk, tsk! Apparently little Chloe was never taught to respect her elders!" she laughed and paused before adding, "… although, I guess it would be difficult to retain any semblance of etiquette after a fool like Davidoff murders your parents…" I felt the bile rise up into my mouth, but I didn't let myself take the bait she was dangling in front of me like steak for a starving dog. I remained silent, focusing my attention on the fight going on in front of me. Never one to be ignored, the demon inquired, "Did you _hear_ me, child? I _said-_"

"I _heard_ what you said," I assured her, keeping my voice calm and my tone icy, "but frankly, I don't give a shit. I'm done playing games with you, demon! I'm only going to say this once: leave, or I swear I'll make you wi-"

A howl from one of the wolves made me jump, momentarily forgetting the demon while I tried to determine which wolf had been injured badly enough to make that sound. _Maybe it's the Alpha_, I thought, feeling hopeful. _If the Alpha's injured, the other wolf will forget about me and leave with him, and I'll be safe for a day or two. They might not even come back anytime this week, leaving me without anything to worry about … _I let my thoughts trail off, realizing which one had cried out in agony: the black wolf, who'd been the only thing keeping the others from eating me alive. As I looked on in horror, the two partner wolves converged around the third with a hungry look in their eyes: they were about to finish him off.

I couldn't let that happen – couldn't watch an innocent creature get murdered right before my eyes. I thought of the kitten who'd be senseless bludgeoned to death in front of me, and it gave me the mental push I needed: _I can't let that happen again_. In less than three seconds I managed to rip open the zipper of my backpack and extract one of the steak knives I'd brought outside with me.

Time slowed down considerably then thanks to the adrenalin pulsing through my veins. Distracted by their goal, the two wolves didn't see me come up behind them. The servant wolf held the black wolf down, while alpha dipped his head to the black wolf's throat….

I lunged with the knife in my hands and buried it to the hilt in the Alpha wolf's lower back. He let out a high-pitched howl – more like a blood-curling scream, actually – and turned to look at me, hatred for me evident in his eerily-human eyes. He tried to lunge towards me, teeth barred, but apparently my stunt had given the black wolf his opportunity to escape: he tackled the Alpha, sending him flying towards a moss-covered tree trunk.

The Alpha whimpered, backing away from the black wolf as best he could in a show of surrender. The black wolf held his ground, barring his teeth and growling as he held a protective stance in front of me. The other wolf moved forward fractionally – earning another growl from the black wolf – before deciding it wasn't worth it. He began to back up, dragging the Alpha back into the depths of the forest with him.

I stood there, frozen to the spot, straining to hear the sound of twigs snapping or anything else that would indicate the wolves were coming back to finish us off. The wolf was mirroring my actions, staying perfectly still with his snout in the air while he sniffed for a trace of the other wolves' scents. After standing motionless for ten minutes I relaxed my stance, letting my shoulders sag as I let out the breath I'd been holding. Oddly enough, I wasn't freaking out – which is a completely normal reaction when left alone in the woods with a wolf – just anxious to get back inside the barrier and see how Tori was doing.

I looked at the wolf, still frozen in place. _Will he notice if I leave? _I wondered. _Will he come after me? _I began to feel uneasy as it dawned on me: _he probably just fought them so he could eat me instead. _

_Great._

I began to back up slowly, taking care not to step on anything that would make noise. _I'm only a few dozen feet away from the barrier; I could make it if I get a good enough head start. _I tried picking up my pace a little, turning around so there'd be no chance of me tripping over something and giving myself away. _Common Chloe, it's just a couple feet. You can do this. You can do this! Just a couple more steps and you can start running, and then it's home-free…_

I heard a low growl from behind me and jumped.

_SHIT!_

I turned just as the wolf slipped past me. He stopped a few feet in front of me, then motioned with his head in a gesture that I took to mean _follow me_.

_Umm….that probably isn't the smartest thing to do right now._

But I did – without even stopping to consider that it might be a bad idea to follow a huge carnivorous animal deeper into the woods…

The wolf kept a steady pace in front of me despite the injury I could now see to his front paw. He walked with his nose to the ground, searching for – I assumed, anyway – the trails the other wolves had followed. I could tell he was listening for any sound of their return so I tried to stay as silent as possible, but navigating the uneven ground was not easy; every twig I snapped underfoot sounded like a gunshot to my ears. I tried to get my thoughts together while I walked, wondering why I wasn't more worried about where the wolf was leading me, but they flitted away like grains of sand in the wind. I couldn't focus – couldn't find it in me to react. A small part of my mind whispered that I was probably exhausted and in no condition to make much sense of anything, but I knew the real reason for my lack of sense:

_This can't be a normal wolf – it's way too intelligent. And it hasn't tried to attack me like the others did…._

I looked up from my shoes and stared at the wolf, realizing: _its fur is black. If Derek had Changed, his fur would have been just like—_

I shook my head to stop myself from allowing that thought to continue. _It can't possibly be him. He's dead, remember? You can't keep doing this! _

I bit my lip, forcing back the tears I'd felt forming.

Hope is a dangerous thing. No matter how sure you are that something will never happen, hope gives you a horrible fleeting instant of happiness, of _maybe_ – horrible because, seconds later, you crash back to reality and it hurts again, worse than ever. Because for that moment, you forgot how bad things were.

For a moment, you dared to _hope_.

Hope is a dangerous thing… especially when it's all you have left.

* * *

I spent the rest of the walk making contingency plans in case the wolf really was leading me to my doom. _I can use the other knife if I have to, _I rationalized, _and it probably won't be able to catch me if I run – that injury is slowing it down._

And it was true: the wolf's pace had slowed to almost a stand-still, and I could tell it was trying not to put any weight on its injured front paw. If it hadn't been for the fact that I was terrified of having it behind me, I would've sped up and took the lead – well, that and the fact that I had no idea where I was or where we were going.

Finally - after what must've been at least half an hour of walking blindly with my nerves on-edge – the wolf stopped in his tracks.

I looked up and saw where we were: back at the edge of the barrier, standing only a few feet away from where the other wolves had first spotted me. My jaw dropped, and if it wasn't pitch-black outside, I would've thought it was mirage. "What the f-?"

The wolf circled around until it was behind me and nudged my legs gently with its nose. Unprepared, I almost fell flat on my face, catching myself at the last second. I heard a snort behind me, and I felt my face go red. _Lovely. Even animals laugh at my clumsiness now. Perfect._

I stood up straight and began walking forward, taking a few hesitant steps. _This could be a trap_, I told myself. _An ambush. Just when I think I'm safe - as I'm about to cross into the barrier - they'll grab me and…. _I turned to look at the wolf, but he'd already turned around and begun walking away, flinching each time he used his injured paw. My heart sank watching. _He protected me from those things and brought me back safely. Am I really going to just let him go back there? With that injury those other wolves won't have a problem taking him down..._

"Wait!" I called, running after it and feeling more foolish by the second. _I'm sure the wolf speaks English. God, when did I become such an idiot? _

But amazingly, it worked. The wolf stopped walking, turned around, and gave me another push towards the barrier. When I dug my heels in and resisted, it began to whine, as if to ask why I was being so difficult.

"Stop pushing me, I want to help you!" I snapped. It obeyed immediately, dipping its head as I turned around to look at it. "You're hurt," I explained, my voice soft so as not to scare it. "I have to bandage your paw or you'll never survive another attack out there, understand?" Obviously, I hadn't been looking for a response – just trying to calm the wolf with my voice – but after a few seconds it laid down and bowed its head, sticking its injured paw out a few inches farther than the other.

_Holy. Shit. This thing definitely isn't a regular wolf. It has to be a werewolf... which means the others who attacked me-_

"Uhh, o-okay," I whispered, my voice shaking. I slipped off my backpack and reached inside; searching for the water bottle I'd placed there earlier. I pulled out the bottle and put my bag down, crouching near the wolf. "I have to clean the wound first, to prevent infection," I explained, knowing it would understand. I gingerly poured water over the injury and wiped away the excess with the edge of my sleeve, careful not to put too much pressure on it. Then I pulled off the sweater and tank top I was wearing (out of sight of the wolf, of course) and put the sweater back on. I tried to rip the tank top into thin strips, but the material was too thick and I only managed to get a few wide ones. Improvising, I tied them together end-to-end instead, until the crude bandage was long enough to wrap around the wolf's paw a few times. I lifted the paw gently and wrapped the fabric around, trying to keep it tight enough to maintain pressure, but not tight enough to cut off circulation like a tourniquet.

When I was finished, I sat back and rinsed my hands with what remained of the water. The wolf didn't move, and for a second, I thought the worst – until I saw his ears move and relaxed. For a few minutes we just sat there, the wolf with his head down and eyes closed while I watched it, trying to figure out what was going on. My breathing was beginning to slow as the remains of the adrenalin left my system, but I was still on-edge, so I tried to distract myself by examining my current situation. _This has to be a werewolf… but what is it doing here?_ I wondered. I knew it couldn't be a member of the Edison Group; they didn't hire or associate with werewolves because they thought they were savages. I studied the wolf again, trying to remember if Andrew had introduced Simon and I to any werewolves at dinner. I racked my brains for a face, but none came, and I remembered noting that there hadn't been any werewolves in the rebellion group either. _Not even the good guys wanna be around werewolves… how'd they get such a bad rap? _

I cleared my throat and the wolf's ears perked up at the sound. "Are you… a w-werewolf?" I asked, voice low. It didn't react, so I took a deep breath to steady myself and asked a different question: "Are you a member of the Edison Group?"

At the sound of the group's name, he began to growl. "I'll take that as a 'no', then," I said, trying to calm it down. But then the growling turned to whining, and I knew something was wrong. I looked around for any signs of trouble, but we were alone, and I was sure if the others had returned, the wolf would've tried to push me back to barrier again. Instead he began to curl in on himself, breathing heavily as his spine began to arch unnaturally. _What the hell is happening? _I stood there, watching in horror as the wolf's bones began to make the most horrible cracking noises I'd ever heard. "Oh, shit," I whispered, watching as the toes on the front paws elongated and the fur receded into his skin.

_He's Changing back! _I realised, hugging my arms to my chest. I watched as the wolf began to change form, shivering when I heard it howl in agony.

That was all it took. I ran over, lowering myself onto my knees. _What am I supposed to do?_

"You're going to be fine," I whispered, placing a hand on its back - it was still more wolf than human, but it was larger now, and the arms and legs had thickened considerably. It tried to shake off my hand, ducking its head – which had begun to Change back as well – so I couldn't see. "You're going to be fine," I repeated, the words catching in my throat as I realized that, had Derek lived to his first Change, he would've been experiencing this torturous process as well.

_What would you have done if you had to watch Derek go through this?_ My subconscious taunted. _Would you have just stood there and said "you're going to be fine"? _

"What can I do?" I begged him, telling myself that if this were Derek, I'd be doing everything in my power to ease his pain. "Let me help you!"

I placed my hand on it again, trying to calm it down. I could feel the muscles spasming under my touch, but I kept my hand there, stroking the skin/hair (it was lengthening and shortening rapidly) between the shoulder blades. It didn't seem to be making much of a difference, but after about ten minutes, his breathing began to slow. I backed off, giving him breathing room. His form hadn't changed much – he still looked like a wolf, although his limbs had lengthened – but I was hopeful that the worst was over now.

I was wrong.

A few seconds after I backed up his spine arched again, and the bones snapped so loudly I was amazed people in the house didn't come running. I tried to get closer but he was thrashing around, trying to stop the pain, and I couldn't get closer.

A few more minutes of torture later, there was a wolf standing before me once again; his body had refused to complete the reversal, and he'd reverted back to wolf form. I had no idea if this was normal, but he seemed to be in pretty bad shape as he lay on the ground panting. I approached him slowly, wondering what was next. _Will his body try again, or is he stuck like this…?_

I sank down onto my knees next to him. "Come back to the house with me, through the barrier," I begged. "We have shamans who can help you, experts-" He stood up shakily, his legs unsteady underneath him. I stood up too, knowing I'd have to lead the way if the barrier was going to allow him access. Brushing off my pants, I watched as he took a few steps forward.

He glanced up at me, and for a fraction of a second I thought I saw green.

And then he bolted away, back into the depths of the forest.

* * *

**A/N: So there's the chapter… I'm looking forward to answering all your lovely reviews (I can sometimes be persuaded to answer questions, ya know… just sayin'). Please review guys, and lemme know what you think of this chapter! :)**


	31. Loss

**Author's Note**: I know you all hate me for not updating in for so long… and believe me, I hate me too. I think the dumbest idea I ever had was to get a job (seriously, don't do it if you don't absolutely have to). And then I got hit by the train – otherwise known as exams – and didn't look up from my textbooks for two weeks. But that's still not an excuse for such a prolonged absence, so I'm sending out a big cyber hug (and maybe some restraining orders…) to those amazing people who sent me all those lovely messages telling me not to give up. Thank you all so much – this one's for you!

Also, I know this may be asking a lot, but **I need everyone reading this chapter to do their best to review**. I know it's a bother, but I really need to know how many people are still reading this story. It's been a long time, and I know I myself have given up on stories that don't update for a few months. So please, please, PLEASE leave a review (it doesn't have to be long guys, it could be a smiley face or a sad face depending on if you liked it or not or something) and I will love you forever and answer every single one. Please?

That's enough grovelling for now because this chapter is a monster and I have to get on with it. Enjoy, guys (however many of you there are left)!

* * *

**Disclaimer: Christina and Steph are feeling nostalgic and watching some Disney movies to pass the time.**

**Steph**: Would you look at that hair? I swear, Disney is single-handedly responsible for my unrealistic expectations in men and in hair.

**Christina**: True dat.

**Steph**: And I mean seriously, how come it dries perfectly straight and has volume and everything? I can't get that look with mousse and a professional hair dryer!

**Christina**: *Shrugs*

**Steph**: *Annoyed because she doesn't think Christina is listening*  
And also, I decided to give up writing that story that isn't mine. You know the one where I don't own anything but my awesome ideas? Yea, that one. I'm done with it. Like, forever.

**Christina**: *Distracted*  
Mhmmm.

**Steph**: No reaction? Seriously?  
*Waves hand in front of Christina's face*

**Christina**: YOUR MOM HAS NO REACTION!  
*Looks away from screen*  
NOW SHUT UP SO I CAN WATCH MY MOVIE!

* * *

Loss

"And in all my life, I have known no greater loss than this: the loss of you."

- Anonymous

* * *

I squinted against the sunlight flooding in through the cracks in the curtain, straining to block out the feel of the light hitting my face. I rolled over so my back was to the window, but that didn't help; I reached for my blanket, but it wasn't anywhere within reach. _I probably kicked it off during the night…_ I patted the area of the bed around me, giving it one last half-hearted attempt….

It was about then - feeling the unfamiliar texture of something under my hand – that I realized I wasn't in my bed.

I bolted awake, my heart racing as I tried to remember where I was. Taking in the trees and other assorted shrubbery, I brought my hands up to my face and rubbed my eyes. _How the hell did I end up outside?_

Incomplete fragments of memory – snatches of light and sound – flitted through my brain until the instant when it all came rushing back. "Oh…" I whispered under my breath, unable to come up with much else. _That wolf… could it be possible-?_

No. Not this again. I couldn't let myself hope for the impossible. _You watched him die. They shot him, and he died, and he's not coming back. That wolf from last night was probably just someone who works for the rebels or owes them a favour or something. Don't delude yourself into thinking it has anything to do with Derek. _

But I also couldn't ignore the coincidences, no matter how hard I tried to convince myself they didn't mean anything. _What are the chances that-?_

"CHLOE? ARE YOU OUT HERE?" Simon's voice carried through the clearing even though I couldn't see him. I stood and brushed myself off, hoping I didn't _look _like I'd spent the night on the forest floor while I tried to come up with a plausible excuse. I had no doubt that the demon had been serious before: if something happened to tip off Simon about what I was doing, she'd take it as me not holding up my end of the bargain and let Tori perish.

"CHLO? ARE YOU OUT HERE? ANSWER ME, PLEASE!" Simon's increasingly frantic tone pulled me out of my thoughts. I tried to picture how he'd react if he knew that I'd literally made a deal with the devil, but when all my mental scenarios ended with 'not well', I shook my head to dispel the thought. _I can't tell him yet anyway. He can't know until this is all over and done for good._

"Over here, Simon!" I called, following the sound of his voice. I hurriedly stashed my backpack behind a tree before making my way towards the front of the house.

I spotted him less than a minute later; even from a distance I could see the look of relief on his face. He looked happy, and for a second I was reminded of the old Simon – the one who always had a huge smile on his face no matter what.

_Wait a second. The 'old' Simon? He's still Simon! When did I start comparing us to who we used to be? Those people are gone now, and they're not coming back either._

When we'd closed the distance between us, he wordlessly pulled me into a hug. "Thank God," he muttered near my ear. I pulled away, shooting him a questioning look.

"What's wrong?" I asked. "You sounded like a mom who lost her kid in Wal-Mart or something!"

"What were you doing out here?" he demanded, dodging my question. "You look like you were rolling around on the ground," he added, taking in my haggard appearance.

Luckily, my walk had given me time to prepare a response. "I wanted to scope out the property, so I went for a walk. I tripped over some roots and fell a couple of minutes ago." As far as I was concerned it was a believable lie, and I had kept my voice as even as possible … but the look on his face told me he didn't quite buy it. "Why?" I added, hoping to cut off his thought process before he could analyze the lie. I studied his face, taking in the worry clouding his eyes. Something was definitely wrong. "What's wrong, Simon? What's going on?" I repeated, my tone urgent.

He shook his head. "It's … nothing, really." He scratched his ear – his nervous tick – obviously embarrassed. "I just had this stupid dream: you were running through the forest like something was chasing you, and then when I went to wake you up for breakfast you weren't in your room, and I-"

"Panicked?"

"Yeah. I don't know. It's probably nothing. I guess I just have a bad feeling about all of this…" he trailed off, but I heard what he wasn't saying: he didn't feel safe here either, and he was still stuck on high-alert as well.

_And his dream… _I smiled up at him, ignoring the sinking feeling in my stomach. "Well, seeing as I'm here and nothing's chasing me, I think we can cross 'amazing prophetic dreams' off your list of super-cool heroic abilities," I suggested, attempting to lighten the mood a little. Simon simply shrugged, then turned and gestured for me to follow him back to the house. I smiled, hoping my eyes didn't betray what I was thinking. _What the hell is going on here?_ I wondered. _First the wolves, and now Simon's dream…_

"_Yesssssss, things are finally beginning to get interesting, aren't they, little necro?" _I jumped, hearing the demi-demon's voice in my head.

Simon stopped a few feet in front of me, his long legs having granted him the lead. "You okay Chlo?"

"F-fine, just thought I saw a snake," I lied, forcing my mouth into a wide smile. "It was nothing though – just a branch." He chuckled, holding the door open for me. I stepped through, turning to watch as Simon scanned the front yard one last time before closing the door behind himself.

* * *

An hour later, after I'd showered and changed, I met Simon in the kitchen for a late breakfast. The kitchen was deserted and nothing had been left out for us, so we took it upon ourselves to open up the cupboards and find something edible. Twenty minutes later – halfway through our generic,tasteless, no-name toaster waffles - Andrew appeared in the doorway, a huge grin plastered on his face. "There you are, kiddo! I've been looking for you two for ages!"

I swallowed the dry, syrup-less piece of waffle I'd been chewing before I spoke. "What's up, Andrew? Is everything okay?"

"Everything's great," he replied cheerily. "I just wanted to let you and Simon know that your friend Tori is awake and stable. She's been-"

We rushed out of the room before he could finish his sentence.

* * *

We flew up the staircase to the infirmary, not even stopping to apologize when we nearly collided with a grumpy old lady on one of the landings. I could've sworn I heard her mutter something about 'kids today', but there was no time to stop and remind her which generation had raised them. We made it up to the infirmary in less than a minute, sprinting to the door as if it was the portal to platform 9 ¾. Simon, having longer legs, beat me to it, and by the time I'd entered the room, he was already halfway to Tori's bed.

"—and I swear to God, if you don't stop being cheap with the morphine, I'm going to cut off your little friend and feed him to the dog downstairs!" Tori's voice echoed through the room, bouncing off the high ceilings. The shaman who'd been adjusting her blood pressure monitor just shrugged and turned to leave, as if already he'd received that same threat too many times to take it seriously.

"Tori!" Simon sounded both horrified at her comment and relieved that she was back to her old self again.

At the sound of his voice, Tori looked up. I caught her rearranging her smile into an intimidating grimace before: "You bastards! You call yourselves _friends_? I've been awake for a whole twenty minutes! Why wasn't one of you waiting at my bedside when I woke up? You should both look like you've slept in a chair for a week at the very _least_! Why-?"

Simon threw his arms around her, cutting off the rest of her rant.

For a second I felt a pang of jealousy, but I brushed it off and went over to get _my _hug. I squeezed her as tightly as my lack of upper-body strength would allow before letting go. "You _dumbass_! Why the hell would you do something so damn stupid?" I scolded her, furious that she'd sacrificed herself like that for us.

She made a face. "I'm _fine_, Chloe. Good as new. Stop worrying!"

"Then why did you just threaten to do unspeakable things to that shaman's genitals if he didn't up your morphine?" Simon demanded, his tone suspicious. "By the way… you do know there isn't actually a dog downstairs, right?"

Tori smiled mischeviously. "Might as well enjoy it while I can, right?" she asked, winking at me. Simon chuckled nervously; I rolled my eyes at her. "So… how long have I been out, exactly?" she asked, changing the subject abruptly.

"Two months," Simon said gravely.

"Holy shit! Really?"

"Give or take a few days…"

She turned to me for confirmation. "Chloe?"

"Less than a day, Tori. Relax."

She sighed, relieved, before promptly punching Simon in the arm.

"Hey!"

"Asshole."

We laughed together then, and it felt good – forgetting all the things weighing on us for a few seconds and joking around like normal kids our age.

We stayed in the infirmary with Tori for the rest of the day, refusing to leave for more than a few minutes at a time. We brought our dinners up with us and ate while we discussed what our next course of action would be, agreeing that we weren't going anywhere until Tori was fully healed. We were all wary of the supposed 'safehouse' and its residents, and no matter how much we wished we could trust the people inside, experience had taught us that it would be foolish to let our guards down for even a second. We discussed escape plans and powers and even – briefly – the betrayal of Tori's mother, before finally deciding to take a break and just _talk_.

"So, what took you guys so long this morning?" Tori asked during a long stretch of silence. "Andrew said he was going to send you up right away, but you didn't show up until an hour later."

Simon and I exchanged a look. "I had to find Chloe," he said finally. "She was outside in the foresty-section of the yard, so it took a while."

"The forest? What were you doing out there?" she asked, her eyes narrowing in confusion.

For a second, I was tempted to tell them about the wolves and the demon's deal and the events of the night before. _I could figure out a way to tell them indirectly – let them guess. Then I won't really be telling them, will I?_

Apparently the demon thought otherwise. "One word," she said, the voice in my head threatened, " and _this _will be your friend's fate." The room around me dissolved as she spoke, and the image of the safe, healthy Tori on the bed in front of me was replaced by a cold, lifeless body. A ghostly shaman – part of the vision, I guessed – was disconnecting the heart rate monitor and the IV while another faceless shaman pulled a white sheet over Tori's motionless frame. "Is this what you want?" the demon demanded. "For yet _another_ friend to die because of your selfishness?"

And then she showed me Derek, and I had to bite my lip to keep myself from screaming.

"Chloe?" The scene dissolved again, returning me to the real world.

I attempted to steady myself enough to respond to Tori's call. "Like I told Simon, I was just checking out the property, Tori," I snapped.

Simon and Tori exchanged a glance but didn't question me any further. "I'm gonna go to bed," I muttered, standing. "Night, guys." I left without another word, waiting until I was safely back in my room before I let myself fall apart.

* * *

I waited until the house was completely silent before slipping out of my room. I only had a few minutes to prepare before I had to retrieve my backpack from its hiding spot and complete my task, so I took the stairs four at a time. Like the night before, I stopped at the kitchen to grab a weapon; I knew what was in store for me tonight, and I wasn't going to allow myself to bed caught off guard again. I crossed the length of the kitchen in three strides, pulling open the knife drawer slowly so as not to make noise. Inside, I found a few regular dinner knives – nothing too dangerous. I would need something a bit more lethal for my purposes. I tried the next drawer with my fingers crossed, praying for something better.

And I got it.

_Jackpot_! Inside were three long knives – two steak knives and one gleaming butcher's knife. _The kind every psycho killer carries in the movies. How appropriate._

Satisfied with my find, I turned to leave… and stopped, glancing at the medicine cabinet opposite the door. I tried to tell myself that I was only looking out for myself when I took a step towards it, but it was no use. _Whoever he is, he got hurt trying to protect me last night. The least I can do is treat his wounds properly if he shows up again._

I shook my head to halt that train of thought. _He probably won't even be there today – who would repeatedly throw themselves in the line of fire like that for someone they don't know?_

_Unless… _That little voice returned, whispering things in my ear that sparked a treacherous little flame of hope inside me…

_Enough._

I shook my head again and checked my watch, realizing with a start that I had less than five minutes to get to the barrier's edge.

"_Hurry child. You wouldn't want to be late now, would you?"_

Against my better judgement, I threw open the cabinet and pulled out a roll of bandages, some rubbing alcohol, and a flashlight. I hastily stuffed it all into a shopping bag with the knives before racing out the door.

* * *

I didn't turn my flashlight on until I'd retrieved my backpack and reached the edge of the property. I could see the swirling light of the barrier from the house, and it was all I needed to guide me.

"Glad to see you made it," the demon greeted me indifferently, her voice loud and outside my head for the first time all day.

"Let's get this over with," I said, trying to keep my voice from shaking as I thought of what I was in store for me.

"As you wish. I trust you remember what you have to do?" I nodded, stepping up to the very edge of the barrier.

I took a deep breath, clenched my fists, and stepped through.

I knew they'd be waiting, but I still jumped at the sight of the two wolves stepping out of the forest. They both looked a little worse for wear after the pummeling they'd received the night before. I could see the places where their accelerated werewolf hearing had kicked in, but the intense damage that'd been done to the Hunter's body could still be seen: the fur still hadn't grown back, and the skin was angry, puckered, and shiny. I blanched at the sight, forcing the bile that rose in my throat back down again. _Ignore it. The point isn't to stare at them, it's to keep them from eating you for lunch._

They began coming towards me, both growling so fiercely that I knew without a shadow of a doubt that they were out for revenge. _And they'll get it_, I realized, desperately scanning the forest around me for my saviour from the night before. The truth hit me like a speeding train: _I'm all alone. _

_I'm not going to make it out of this alive. _

But I wasn't completely helpless, was I? I still had my powers, and if they were going to be the only thing standing between myself and a slow, torturous death, it was time to stop acting squeamish and actually use them to my advantage.

I closed my eyes, allowing myself to feel the pulse of energy radiating from the forest. I permitted some power to flow out of me, searching for the lingering spirits of any larger animals. I could feel them – feel their presence around me – so I sent out a surge of power along with a silent command: _Protect me_.

I did my best not to picture that day in the forest – what felt like a whole lifetime ago now – when I'd first raised a body. I tried to block out the disgust and the guilt I still felt haunting me, ignoring it like you would a hurtful comment from a friend. And despite my attempts to remain focused, I couldn't stop myself from registering the presence of the wolves moving closer, inching forward as I stood there with my guard down. I wasn't worried though – they wouldn't be happy until they'd gotten the satisfaction of a hunt, and for that their prey would actually have to be moving.

When I opened my eyes they were there, less than ten feet away, watching me hungrily. The excitement of the pending hunt energized them, and I could feel their bloodlust coming off them in waves.

_It's hard to believe they're human… or that they ever were._

The Alpha, tired of waiting, barked an order to its subordinate. The Hunter took another step towards me…

The black wolf – _my _wolf – burst from the trees, slamming into the wolf closest to me.

There was no time to watch the fight like I had the last time – the Alpha was approaching quickly, and I was halfway between him and the barrier. I reached down and gripped the knife poking out of my belt. Tightening my grip around it, I took off, serpentining through the trees west of the barrier.

I could hardly make out the trees in front of me, but I was afraid stopping to pull the flashlight out of my pocket would slow me down. I ran blindly, dodging the trees that sprang up in front of me. I could hear the Alpha behind me – the sound of his breathing telling me just how far away he really was – and I knew I wouldn't be able to outrun him for very much longer. He was teasing me, letting me think I had a chance. In a few minutes – once he was tired of chasing me – he'd close the distance between us effortlessly and end it. Running wasn't going to be enough; I'd have to start implicating offensive measures soon, and the lack of results when I'd tried to raised something before told me my powers weren't going to be of much use to me tonight. Like the night before, I could feel my stores of energy being depleted - with every step, I was becoming weaker.

I did my best to double back, leading the wolf towards the barrier. As I ran, I watched the progress of the black wolf against the Hunter, trying to make out who'd landed the most blows to his opponent. _If my wolf can get rid of the Hunter, he can help me take out the Alpha. We might actually have a chance of getting out of this alive._

Once I realized that, my course of action was clear. Without even realizing it, my feet had begun to steer me towards the black wolf. Confused by my sudden change in direction, the Alpha fell behind, giving me the extra time I needed to formulate my plan. The black wolf was still occupied with the task of trying to get rid of the Hunter. I knew he would need time, so I added another branch to my plan.

Spotting a tree up ahead with low-hanging branches, I lunged, relying on the years of gymnastics training I'd gotten while my parents were alive to keep me from falling. Knowing I only had a few seconds to get out of harm's way, I forced my muscles into action, propelling myself up the trunk of the tree as fast as I possibly could. Once I was able to grab a tributary branch and pull myself up, I peered out through the leaves, searching the ground around the tree for any sign of the Alpha. The whole time I'd been climbing I'd imagined him at my feet, snapping at my heels, desperately trying to drag me back down before I was out of reach… but when I scanned the ground around my tree he was nowhere in sight.

_Where could he have possibly gone? He was right behind me before—_

The sound of a wolf's howl kept me from completing that thought. It wasn't difficult to figure out what had happened: the Alpha had given up on me and gone to join the Hunter in his fight against the black wolf.

Another howl of pain pierced the silence of the forest, and I knew that it was my wolf that was in trouble. He was losing – what else could he do when he was fighting both enemies at once while wounded – while I sat there safe in my perch listening to it all happen.

By the time I heard the third howl I was already out of the tree, making my way over to the spot where I'd last seen the wolves fighting. I paused long enough to withdraw my flashlight, holding it while my other hand gripped the knife at my waist. I ran towards the source of the noise, hoping I wasn't already too late.

Within three minutes, I found myself less than ten feet from the action. Crouching behind a tree, I tried to gauge what the most effective plan of attack would be; judging by the speed at which the wolves were throwing themselves into battle, I knew jumping right into the scuffle wouldn't be the best choice…

_They're not after him – they're after ME. And since I'm the weaker one, the most logical thing for me to do would be—_

I swore under my breath. _The bait. Why is the heroine always has to be the one to lure the baddies away?_

I gathered my courage and stepped out from behind the tree, not wanting to wait for my brain to supply me with an answer.

The effect was immediate: both the Alpha and his subordinate looked up, locking eyes with me from their positions. The black wolf, realizing what was going on, barked in my direction as if to say "what are you doing? Get out of here!" Ignoring his protests, I took another shaky step forward, decreasing the distance between the wolves and myself. In response, the Alpha stepped forward as well, his gaze holding my own as he licked his chops in anticipation. It was like a standoff in a classic western – nobody moved a muscle as we stared each other down and waited for our adversaries to make the first move. Teeth and fists clenched anxiously, I forced out an invitation: "Come and get me, you bastards."

A few seconds passed before anyone reacted. And I swear there was nothing even remotely human about the evil grin plastered on the Alpha's face. He stepped forward, his eyes shining eagerly.

The Hunter growled a warning to the Alpha, but he was too close to victory to stop now. Instead, he barked an order, cocking his head towards the black wolf as if to say, "be a dear and take care of that, won't you?"

The Hunter didn't move, but the Alpha began shifting his weight, preparing to strike. I locked eyes with the black wolf and nodded once, hoping he understood.

We exploded into action.

Instead of turning around and running in the direction of the house, I ran forward and slightly to the left. The Alpha, having charged straight ahead, had ended up running in the opposite direction and increasing the distance between us. This gave me more time to run away while he was forced to turn around before resuming the chase. Admittedly, it wasn't the best plan, but it gave me a few extra seconds to get as far away from the Alpha as I possibly could. The Hunter, like its master, had run forward. Like me, the black wolf had anticipated this and looped around the same way I had, confusing his opponent. The black wolf was then able to attack his opponent from behind, giving him a huge advantage. Within moments they were locked in combat, each trying to best the other. I wasn't able to watch what happened next, but when I glimpsed back a few moments later, the black wolf had pinned the Hunter beneath him.

I peeled my eyes away from the scene. I had to keep running; letting myself get distracted wasn't going to help in the slightest. _Just keep running, that's all you have to do. Just keep running. Ignore the burning in your lungs, your throat. Just keep—_

My pep talk was cut short by another tortured howl. I kept running, praying the cry hadn't come from the black wolf. Knowing there was no way I could outrun the Alpha forever, I looked around for another tree to climb. I planned on repeating my earlier strategy – climb a tree and hide until the coast was clear – but there seemed to be none nearby with the low-hanging branches I required to pull it off.

I had to find one soon. The muscles in my legs were screaming at me, demanding I stop, and my lungs felt more torn-up with every jagged breath I drew in and forced them to hold.

I stumbled and lost my footing, throwing my hands out to keep my face from making contact with the cold, hard ground. Knowing I was finished then – the Alpha would be upon me in seconds – I made one last feeble attempt:

_Somebody, please. Help us._

And then I closed my eyes, knowing I'd failed myself and Tori and Simon and Derek and my parents, bracing myself for the moment when everything would go dark.

It never came. I opened my eyes and got to my feet quickly, not bothering to brush the dirt off my clothes. The Alpha was nowhere to be found, but I could hear the distinct sounds of a scuffle happening close by. Realizing what that meant, I let out the breath I'd been holding. _He's okay. Thank goodness. _Somehow I'd lost the Alpha, and the sounds meant that the black wolf was still fighting the Hunter somewhere…

"If I didn't know better, I'd think you had a thing for near-death experiences, Chloe."

My head whipped around at the voice, not daring to believe it. "L-Liz? Is that you?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper in case the Alpha was still looking for me.

"Who else would it be?" she replied, materializing a few feet in front of me. She hadn't changed since our last encounter – which made sense, of course – and except for the anxious set of her features, it could have been the day she pulled me out of my grief-induced stupor back at the Edison Group's headquarters.

I doubled over, feeling the effects of the chase hit me all at once. "Wolves… chase … help … black…" I struggled to get the words out between wheezes, hoping she'd understand what I was trying to convey.

"Are you talking about the wolves? Because I held up that bastard that was chasing you. You're okay for a while," she assured me.

I shook my head and tried again. "Help... we gotta help… the black wolf…" I finally spit out as I attempted to stand up straight.

I'd expected an argument – or at the very least for her to tell me I was insane – but, God bless her, Liz just nodded once and pointed in the direction of the fight. "The wolf that was chasing you rejoined the other one after I dropped a few dozen branches on his head," she said. "He's a little dazed but he's still pretty dangerous. The other one can hardly stand but he won't stop fighting – it's awful." She glanced around as we neared the source, gaze lingering on a tree a few dozen feet to the right. "Climb that," she said, jabbing a thumb towards the tree, "and wait for me to come get you. Okay?"

I nodded without having the slightest intention of following her instructions. Satisfied, she disappeared from view.

I abandoned the tree and ran in the direction of the battle the second she disappeared. Careful not to get too close, I fished out the other two knives and stuck them into my belt, pulling the butcher knife out so it was handy. I snuck closer, spotting a glimpse of the black wolf's fur through the dense layer of foliage.

"_Liz!_" I hissed, watching as she threw a few rocks at the Alpha's face. They rebounded off him like crumbs, returning to the ground with a few muted thuds. I whispered her name again, thinking that if she took one of my knives, she'd be able to…

The Alpha's ears perked up and he turned to look in my direction.

_Oh, screw it._ I pressed my lips together to keep from making any more sounds.

I watched as the black wolf tackled the Hunter, sending him toppling to the ground. He lowered his muzzled and bit down hard into the Hunter's flank, tearing a sizeable chunk of flesh from his already wounded side. The Hunter whimpered once, and then was still.

Now there was nothing between the Alpha and the black wolf.

The Alpha dug his paws into the ground and growled, taunting him, daring the black wolf to come forward. It was easy to see who had the upper hand here: the black wolf had been injured in battle, while the Alpha had done nothing but chase me and watch the Hunter fight for him. The black wolf was exhausted, and it showed.

But that didn't stop him from flying at the Alpha, fangs bared and eyes shining.

They fought without holding anything back. The Alpha – though he had let his crony fight his earlier battles for him – was obviously very powerful. The two flew at each other with unrestrained force, putting everything they had into the fight. The black wolf got a few solid hits in, but his condition was deteriorating quickly, and with every blow the Alpha delivered, he grew less and less co-ordinated. Liz tried to help as best she could – yanking the Alpha's tail, poking him with branches, and even attempting to choke him – but nothing she did seemed to have any lasting effect. I wanted to help as well, but they were moving so fast that doing anything to attempt to help the black wolf might very well injure him. I gripped the knife handle as hard as I could, willing an idea to pop into my head.

But nothing came. I watched as the Alpha delivered another hit, knocking the black wolf onto his back. I waited for my wolf to right himself, but he stayed down. I watched in horror as Liz tried to pull him to his feet and the Alpha moved closer. It was obvious that he meant to deliver the final hit as he made his way to where the black wolf was lying practically motionless.

I couldn`t watch anymore.

Without knowing how I got there, I was a few feet behind the Alpha, knife raised above my head. Time had slowed down, and my own movements felt impossibly fast to me. The Alpha`s ears perked and he turned slightly – as I knew he would – spotting me.

I brought my hand down, and though he had moved away, I managed to embed the first few inches of the blade into his lower back.

Howls of agony. I yanked the knife out and brought it down again in the same area before he could escape my reach. Again, I pulled the blade out, raising my arm in preparation for another strike.

He darted away, putting a few dozen feet between us within a few seconds. Adrenaline surging through me, I glanced up at Liz. She looked somewhere between relieved and angry – probably because I had disobeyed her – but when she met my eyes she held my gaze. I nodded and lowered my knife. "I have to take him back through the barrier with me. Take this knife and watch my back in case he comes back, okay?" She nodded and took it from my hand, holding it away from herself like it was a diseased animal.

I turned to the black wolf. I tried shaking him awake, but it was clear that he was unconscious. Not knowing what else to do, I stood up and tried to lift him. Bad idea. I began to sway and almost dropped the wolf. Liz, watching this, shook her head and scrambled to help me lift him. Unfortunately it wasn't enough – our strengths combined couldn't carry the wolf. With nothing left to do we half dragged, half carried the wolf until we were only a few dozen feet from the barrier. After such a long trek, the sight of the soft, swirling lights almost brought me to tears.

"Well, it seems you survived after all," the demon noted. "I believe congratulations are in order."

I ignored her, doing my best to concentrate on getting the wolf inside the barrier. It was less than a dozen feet now, and I couldn't wait to collapse on the grass and let sleep take over. Only a few more feet…

The demon began to laugh.

I knew something was wrong, but my brain was not in the best of shape after the night I'd had. As I dragged the wolf the last few feet into the barrier, I heard a twig snap.

I barely had time to react before the Alpha had slammed into me, knocking me to the ground.

I don't remember screaming, but I remember thrashing against the beast on top of me, desperately trying to wriggle out from under him. Grabbing one of the knives from my belt, I thrust it upwards, grazing the wolf's stomach. It felt like I spent an eternity pinned beneath him before I heard another howl of pain and seized the opportunity; I slipped out from under him, pulling the third knife from my belt.

"Liz!" I shouted, searching for any sign of her. She'd disappeared again, but I had a feeling that this time, it hadn't been because she'd wanted to. Terrified, I tried to get to my feet quickly. I managed to stand after a few seconds, running to where I'd left the black wolf. I wrapped my arms around him and pulled with everything I had, desperate to get him and myself to safety. As we cleared the last four feet, I allowed myself a moment of celebration. _We made it through the night! Tori's going to be okay! We got rid of those monsters and we made it through—_

He slammed into me again, knocking me to the ground.

I tried to stand, tried to run, but the weight of the wolf was pulling me back to the ground – he'd grabbed onto my shirt.

I twisted madly, trying everything to get the wolf off. I tried stabbing him again, but the knife wouldn't find purchase in his fur and kept rebounding off when I tried. I screamed Liz's name, sending a surge of power out to try and pull her back to me.

Nothing.

I twisted, aiming somewhere around the wolf's mid-flank.

The knife went in just as a force hit us from the left.

_My wolf._

We flew back from the point of impact, rolling as we went. The Alpha's hold on my shirt never faltered, but my wolf was on him now, biting and clawing and aiming for his throat. I tried to find my knife and spotted it some ten or twelve feet away – too far. Way too far to be of any use to me.

The black wolf landed another blow, sending the Alpha in the opposite direction.

This time, he didn't attempt to retaliate.

The Alpha stood, locking eyes with the black wolf. He turned to meet my gaze, and – if wolves could do such a thing – he grinned before promptly turning around and disappearing into the forest again.

I watched as he ran, turning to look at the black wolf when I was sure the Alpha was far enough away. He had collapsed, the effort of driving the other wolf away draining his last remaining stores of energy. I crouched down, stroking the fur around his ears. "It's alright," I whispered. "We're safe now. Everything's going to be f-"

It was only then that I realized where we were and what had happened.

The Alpha had entered the barrier with us.

* * *

It was like my body was on auto-pilot. The shock of what had just happened had frozen my mind, but my hands somehow knew that I needed to get my backpack off and start treating our wounds. Without stopping to think, I peeled off my t-shirt carefully and shrugged off my tank top, replacing my t-shirt when I was done. I pulled out the rubbing alcohol and poured some onto my tank, using it to wipe off the blood and dirt caked on my arms. I was thorough – remembering what Derek had told me about getting werewolf blood in your system – but quick, only tending to my own wounds so I could take my time fixing up the wolf. Thankfully, the Alpha's teeth hadn't made it through my clothing – I'd escaped without an encounter with his fangs.

Satisfied with my work, I turned to the unconscious form next to me. Now that he was still, I could see just how badly he'd faired – there were deep bite-marks in places where the fur had been ripped out, blood was dried in his coat and the paw I'd fixed up the day before looked worse than ever. I paused with the roll of bandages in my hand, trying to figure out where I could possibly start.

_Bones first. Everything else can wait_, I decided, remembering Lauren's instructions for how to treat a severely injured patient.

I set to work, doing my best to set the bones properly. In all honesty, I had no idea if what I was doing would do anything but hurt the wolf… but I had to try. I wrapped the bandages around the broken paw from the night before and his left hind leg, which appeared to be broken as well. Using the alcohol, I tended to the bites from the Alpha and the other wolf, trying to be as gentle as possible. I tried summoning Liz again while I worked, but she didn't reappear and I gave up after my first few attempts proved to be fruitless. I suspected her absence had something to do with the barrier – maybe someone had cast a spell to keep out ghosts and spirits – and tried not to linger too long on the fact that Liz had disappeared at the same time the demon had.

There was nothing much left for me to do after disinfecting the bites. I tried using some of the water in my bag to wash out the blood from the wolf's fur, but it wasn't enough and I didn't want to risk giving him hypothermia or something.

I spotted a bite mark on his ear that I'd missed earlier and rooted through my bag looking for the rubbing alcohol. Pouring some onto the fabric in my hand, I pressed it to the wound gently, letting it brush the cut so as not to hurt the wolf. As I worked, I noticed his eyes opening as he registered the feeling of something on his ear. I pulled my hand back slowly, not wanting to make any sudden movements. I could feel his gaze on me and tried not to react, letting my hand hang in the air between us.

He met my gaze and held it before closing his eyes and leaning his head down. He touched his forehead to my palm gently before laying his head back on the ground, and I took it to mean 'thank you'. Touched – and angry that he'd been hurt trying to protect me – I vowed to end the Alpha's life even if it was the last thing I ever did. _And those eyes_… I shook my head swiftly, stopping any ideas from forming.

"You'll be okay, I promise. You'll be back to your old self in a few days," I whispered, placing my hand above his shoulder in – what I hoped was – a comforting gesture. He seemed to relax at my touch, so I scooted closer and sat down, keeping my hand in place. Part of my brain seemed to realize that he hadn't run away like before, and that he was probably the only thing standing between me and the other wolves. "Thank you," I whispered, hoping I sounded sincere. He couldn't respond, of course, but he seemed to bob his head and I took that to mean he understood.

The rational part of my brain was having a field day. _Why am I still out here talking to this stranger? Who is this person, and why do they keep putting themselves at risk for me? _

I don't know how long we sat there in silence, the only sounds punctuating the air between us a product of our breathing. I began to doze off, finally relaxing after the torturous events of the night. _It's so pretty out here at night_, I noted. _The stars seem so close. _I stared up at them, willing my heavy eyelids to stay open a little while longer. _I can't stay out here all night. The Alpha's still out there – he could be back at any time. I gotta get inside…_

I was asleep before I could even finish the thought.

* * *

_Wolves. _

They starred in my dreams, appearing swiftly and disappearing almost as quickly. They were as insubstantial as smoke, flitting in and out of my otherwise normal dream. But what they touched they turned to nightmares, and I was soon trapped in the midst of one I knew all too well.

The screams of the brakes. The screams of my parents.

But this time, there were wolves outside the car, surveying the wreckage with eyes too intelligent to belong to anything but human beings. The sight of them made me shiver – made me pull my coat up over myself and let the dreams take me far, far away…

I bolted awake, shivering for real as I tried to piece together what I'd just seen. _The wolves… could they have been there the night my parents died? _I pushed my hair back with one hand, trying to catch my breath as I considered what it could mean.

It took me a few seconds to realize where I was. _Shit. I must've fallen asleep outside after I took care of our injuries…_

_The wolf!_

I scanned the yard for any sign of him, but he'd disappeared again. "Dammit," I muttered, reaching down to retrieve my backpack. I gathered all the supplies I'd used, stuffing them unceremoniously into the bag before yanking hard on the zipper. _I hope he'll be okay. That paw was in really bad shape. He won't be able to do much tomorrow if—_

The sound of a low-pitched whimper stopped my train of thought and put me on high-alert. I stood up as quietly as possible and followed the noise, avoiding any stray branches or twigs in my path.

It took less than a minute to find him, curled up against a tree just outside the barrier. He was obviously in agony – writhing around helplessly and whimpering – but I had no idea why.

Then the hair on his flank shortened considerably – as if it'd been pulled back into his skin – and I knew. _He's Changing again._

I snapped to action, kneeling down next to him while I tried to figure out what to do. _This can't be normal for a werewolf. Derek said the Change only took a few minutes at the most – and he never said anything about Changing back taking this long._

"Is there anything I can do?" I asked, voice hoarse, remembering how bad it had been the night before. When he didn't answer, I tried placing my hand on his shoulder again. He'd grown larger in the minutes since I'd arrived, and his form was beginning to take on vaguely human qualities: the front legs were beginning to thicken as well as the back legs, and the toes of each front paw were elongating into fingers. _He might make it through this time_, I thought, watching as the snout shortened and began shrinking. I had no idea what to do, so I just kept my hand on his shoulder and watched as he underwent the transformation.

The whimpers grew more and more broken as the transformation progressed. Bones cracked and shifted, and the sounds made me winch. The tail had disappeared, and I could clearly see the shift: he was more human now than wolf. Like the last time, he averted his face, facing the trees while his features Changed.

And because I hadn't been allowing myself to look, to hope even, I stood up and turned his face – gently – towards me.

I started to shake.

Because it couldn't be real. I was dreaming.

I had to be dreaming.

"D-D-" I chocked on his name, unable to get past the first syllable. He jerked his face away as he retched, and I stood there doing nothing, unable to process what I'd just seen. _It can't be him. He's dead. It can't be him. _The same two sentences were on loop inside my mind, tethering me to sanity.

It had to be another illusion created by the demon – there was no other possible explanation. She'd shown me him once to get me to do her bidding, and now she was doing it again. It had to be.

I crouched down next to him, searching for his hand. A wave of nausea hit me the moment I saw it, recognizing the shape of his fingers. "D-Derek?" I tried again, managing to get the name out this time. He made a sound – what could have been the beginning of a reply – before his spine arched and he cried out in agony again. "Derek!"

As his spine began rearranging itself, he grabbed my hand and held on for dear life. It was _his _hand – there was no doubt in my mind, feeling the way it fit with mine. But it was impossible. I'd watched him die. I'd summoned his ghost. And if there was one thing that I knew about my life now, it was that the hole that he'd left in my heart when he'd died was permanent – he was never coming back, and nothing was going to change that.

Because I hadn't been able to save him.

I was suddenly reminded of a conversation I'd had with the demon.

"_This is the friend you wish to save, isn't it?" the demon had asked while we'd been discussing our deal to save Tori._

"_Obviously," I'd retorted, sure she'd been trying to make me angry by asking stupid questions._

I hadn't thought there was anyone else _to_ save.

Right on cue, the demon's laugh reverberated through the entire forest. "Has the stupid little necro _finally_ figured it out?" she asked no one in particular. "Oh, don't look so glum sweetheart! Really, you should be thanking me, Chloe. I did you a huge favour by bringing you out here to meet him, and you didn't even understand what a great gift I'd given you!" She laughed again as Derek let out another howl before collapsing. "I absolutely _adore _reunions… don't you?"

I let loose all the fury I felt towards her: for not telling me he was alive; for putting me through hell just so I could find out the hard way why he hadn't returned. For using me the way she had, giving no thought to the consequences or the destruction she'd caused. I channeled every particle of my fury into my powers, sending her as far away from me as I possibly could.

Once I was sure she was gone, I returned my attention to Derek. I watched with renewed terror as his spine arched again and the fur reappeared, covering his entire body. _No! He's not going to complete the Change! _

"Derek," I begged, placing my hand on his shoulder. "Derek, you have to Change back. Please!" I was on autopilot again, unable to bridge the gap between what was happening in front of me and what it meant.

All I knew was that he had to finish the Change.

His arms and legs began shortening, thinning as his fingers became paws once more. "Don't do this, Derek! You have to finish the Change!" I was sobbing now, tears carving trails through the grime on my cheeks while I gripped his paw so tightly that I could feel each individual bone. "Don't leave me again," I begged. "Please Derek, not again!"

Another howl as his front legs snapped into place and his tail extended. I could see his face now – it'd reverted back to wolf form, erasing any image of his true face.

I was losing him.

I released my grip on his paw as the last pieces of the transformation came together, turning him back into the black wolf. I could see that the effort had exhausted him – he was in worse shape than when he'd begun, if that were possible.

"Derek…" I whispered his name as the tears blurred my vision, flowing freely down the sides of my face. I wiped them away, struggling to get to my feet. _We can figure this out. I'll just take him back to the safehouse – someone there will know what to do. I can fix this! _

I put my arms around him, trying to pull him back towards the barrier with me, but he wouldn't budge. "Common!" I begged, my voice breaking. "We can find a way to turn you back – you just have to come with me, Derek. Please!" I was beyond begging now, shaking while I pleaded with his motionless form. "Derek!"

And - just as I'd known he would - he met my gaze, shaking his head before darting back into the forest.

I scrambled to get to my feet, using my sleeve to dry my tears as I ran after him. "DEREK!" I screamed, following the path he'd taken and repeating his name so many times my throat felt raw. "DEREK!"

But there was no one there to answer me. He'd disappeared into the trees without looking back.

I sank to my knees as the sobs began to overtake my body, making it impossible to run. When I couldn't hold myself up anymore, I fell back onto the grass, hugging my knees to my chest as I let the full force of it take over.

I'd lost him all over again.

* * *

**A/N: I gotta go ice my hand (and sleep maybe, since it's almost six in the morning and I haven't slept yet) but please leave a review (it can be a single word, I'm not picky) so I can get an idea of how many people still care about this baby. If I don't get at least 40, I'm gonna be changing some things… And I mean seriously guys, this chapter was 20 pages long. Have mercy on this poor old fanfic writer :P**

**Anyways, leave some love for me and I'll be sure to answer. As usual, constructive criticism is always appreciated. Happy St. Patrick's Day everyone! :)**


	32. Power

**Author's Note**: I am so, so sorry. So incredibly sorry. Mea maxima culpa times infinity and beyond. I could sit here and give you a thousand reasons why I've been gone for so long, but it really all boils down to life getting in the way.

Big hugs and kisses and hot coco (with the little marshmallows in it, of course) go out to everyone who continued to read and review and favourite and support this story while I was away. This one's for you.

Enough grovelling. Ya'll probably hate me anyway.

* * *

**Disclaimer: After reading Steph's last update, Christina is in a slight state of shock.**

**Christina: *Slams the door of Steph's room open and barges in***  
**So wait... Derek's ALIVE?!**

**Steph: Looks that way, doesn't it?**  
***Winks mischievously***

**Christina: *Enraged***  
**WHAT. THE. HELL?! You convinced me he was dead! EVERYONE thought he was dead! You wrote entire chapters showing us just how dead he was! Why would you do that if you were just going to bring him back?!**

**Steph: *Offended***  
**Dude, I'm not J.K. freaking Rowling, okay? I can't just kill off a main character and make the story work!**

**Christina: *Even more enraged than before***  
**Don't you ever compare yourself to her! You don't own a multi-billion dollar franchise!**  
***Scoffs***  
**For Christ's sakes, you don`t even own DP!**

**Steph: *Glares***  
**Thanks… I wasn't already aware of that, you know.**

**Christina: *Shrugs***  
**I was just sayin'.**  
***Points to laptop***  
**Now go write a sappy reunion with hugs and kisses and wolves that fart rainbows!**

**Steph: But that's not what—**

**Christina: DO IT NOW, MAGGOT! **

* * *

**Power **

"_Perhaps those who are best suited to power are those who have never sought it. Those who have leadership thrust upon them, and take up the mantle because they must, and find to their own surprise that they wear it well." _

-J.K. Rowling, _Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows _

* * *

The only way to describe my actions afterward is this: I had tunnel vision. All I cared about – all I could think about – in those moments was finding him; bringing him back. I forgot about everything else – the demon's deal, the wolves out to get me – and ran after him, going deeper and deeper into the dark, unfamiliar forest. The trees were so close together that their branches intertwined, blocking out the moonlight. I was running blind, using my hands to keep me from hitting anything. I'd lost sight of him long ago, but that didn't stop me from continuing on, pushing forward all the same. I refused to quit, knowing this was probably my last chance.

I couldn't lose him. Not again.

But despite my steely resolve, I was only human. The night's activities began to catch up with me. I could feel all my injuries now that the adrenalin had worn off – to say my entire body was covered in cuts would be an understatement. I pushed on, unwilling to let myself give up that easily.

"Derek!" I called his name as I ran, hoping he'd hear me and stop. "Derek, please!"

My attempts yielded no results, and - as expected - he didn't reappear. Beyond determined now, I kept running anyway.

Just as my lungs were about to give up on the whole endeavor, I heard the sharp snap of a twig nearby. It echoed through the forest, the sound bouncing off everything it touched. I turned, following the sound, searching for its source… until the voice inside my head piped up and effectively blocked out everything else.

"A piece of advice from yours truly, free of charge," the demon began. "Hurry home, little necro… while you still can. It may be hard to believe, but there are more unsavoury things in this forest than your little wolfy friends - things you would do well to avoid."

I ignored her and kept going.

Moments later, I heard the sound of two wolves howling and stopped dead in my tracks. It was cliché, but it meant one thing: they were close. Too close.

I turned around and went back the way I came, hating myself more for every inch my steps put between us. I mollified my guilty conscience by reminding myself that I had one more chance: Derek would be returning tomorrow night to help me fight the wolves, and when it was all over he'd come back with me.

He had to.

I focused on that one glimmer of hope as I ran. _He's coming back tomorrow. I'll see him again. He's not gone forever… _But the fact was I couldn't count on him reappearing. Knowing Derek, he'd do everything in his power to be there to protect me... but everything in his power may not be enough.

When I caught my first glimpse of the translucent barrier through the trees, I slowed my pace. _Almost safe, just a few more minutes…_

Not quite. With a shock I recalled the moment the wolf had gotten into the barrier with me. I wrapped my arms around myself, willing my heart to stop pounding against my ribcage.

_Oh God. I let them in. What have I done?_

A knot began to form in my stomach as I realized the enormity of the situation. _I've endangered the life of every single person inside that house._

Swearing under my breath, I stumbled the last few steps to the door, pulling it open as silently as possible. The last thing I needed was for someone to come downstairs and start asking me where I'd been. My hands were already shaking violently, and I knew that if I opened my mouth the entire story would come rushing out like word-vomit. I leaned against the smooth oak door, closing my eyes as I tried to pull myself together. _Calm down. Breathe. Just get to the bathroom and you can let it all out. _One strangled sob escaped; I pressed my hand over my mouth to block out the sound.

I forced myself to breathe deeply and walk to the stairs. Grabbing hold of the banister, I began to climb, keeping my steps light so they wouldn't creak and wake someone.

Thankfully I made it to the bathroom without incurring the wrath of any sleeping housemates. Closing the door behind me, I pulled open the frosted-glass door of the shower and stepped in, not bothering to remove any of my filthy clothing as they'd probably tip off whoever did the laundry about my late-night activities. I turned the dial to the hottest setting and started the water, hoping the heat could do something to get rid of the chill that had spread throughout my body and soaked into my bones.

I lowered myself onto the floor of the shower, hugging my knees to my chest. Somewhere in the back of my mind I knew I was going into shock, but all my energy had evaporated, leaving me too exhausted to care.

"_Psychological Shock: Symptoms may include sweating, dizziness, muffled hearing, chills, and a fluttering heart-rate," _the Aunt Lauren in my head rattled off. I ignored it, closing my eyes as the searing-hot spray bombarded my face and body.

_What's wrong with me? He's alive – I should be jumping for joy!_

I thought about the irony of it all: that I'd spent months trying to convince myself that he was really and truly dead, and in five seconds I'd been presented with all the evidence I needed to figure out that the opposite was true. I tried putting all the pieces together, and I had to admit it made sense – after all, I'd never actually _seen _his spirit leave his body after the shooting, and the only times I'd seen him in my dreams the demi-demon had been pulling the strings.

_This entire time, she manipulated me into thinking he was gone. She fed into my guilt so I'd do whatever she asked when the time came._

The worst part of it all: Tori had been right all along.

I opened my eyes, realizing that the water coming from the showerhead was now ice-cold. I stood up, turning the water off and stepping out onto the foam bathmat. I peeled off my soaked clothing and kicked off my water-logged sneakers, wrapping myself in a towel from the rack next to the door. Sun was pouring in through the window and reflecting off the mirror, illuminating the entire room. Glancing in the mirror, I realized I was sporting a few new scratches across my face and chest – thanks to the branches I'd run into – and made a mental note to keep my hair down to cover the worst of them. I collected my clothes and stepped out, leaving the door open behind me.

I padded quietly to my room, stopping to throw the wet bundle into the hamper on my way. By then people were up and moving about in the kitchen – I could hear the clinking of silverware against plates – so I didn't have to be as careful about making noise. I entered my room, stopping short on my way to the wardrobe when I heard the knock at the door. I eased it open a few inches and caught a glimpse of Simon's messy spikes through the gap.

"Chloe! There you are. I was just coming down to see if you wanted to come down to breakfast with me…" he trailed off, realizing I was standing there in a towel. He cleared his throat, averting his eyes to a painting of a flower someone had hung on the wall. "Andrew's… making omelettes," he added awkwardly.

"Uh… sure Simon. Just gimme a second to get dressed, okay?"

"Oh! Right! Sorry! I'll go… wait in the hall," he finished lamely, standing up to go.

"Thanks. I won't take long, I promise."

I dressed quickly, sliding on a pair of jeans I found in the closet. They seemed close to my size, and the baggy t-shirt I found seemed to have belonged to the same person. I ran a brush through my hair before pulling the damp strands into a braid. A glance into the mirror and – satisfied by the way the scrapes were hidden - I opened the door and stepped out.

"All done!"

"Awesome! I'm starving." Simon looked up from his blood sugar meter and gave me a small smile. I returned it as he began to pack up his equipment. He straightened and slid the pouch back into his pocket. "Before we go down there … can we talk for a sec?"

_What would you like to talk about, Simon? The fact that your brother is alive, or the murderous werewolves that I let into the only sanctuary our group has left?_

"Shoot," I said, voice hoarse.

He took a deep breath. "Are you… okay?"

"Of course, Simon. I'm-"

"No." He looked into my eyes, holding my gaze. "I don't mean 'okay' as in you tell everyone you're okay to keep them from worrying about you. I'm asking you as your best friend: how are you, really?"

You know how it's easy to lie to yourself and pretend everything is fine, but the moment someone calls you out on it you break down? I tried to smile – to laugh off his concern as a by-product of having less to worry about now that we weren't running for our lives anymore – but I could feel a pressure building behind my eyes. Tears were fighting to get out, but if I let them, I didn't think I'd be able to stop.

"Not so great," I admitted finally. _There's only a couple of werewolves out to kill me and I may have accidentally led them past the only defense we have. A demon's blackmailing me, and oh, did I mention? Your dead brother just happens to be living in the backyard._

He took my hand, squeezing it gently. "I miss him too," he whispered. "But he wouldn't want us to mope around. He's probably watching us right now, wishing he could kick our butts for not training more or sleeping with one eye open or something."

I forced a smile, not missing the irony of the situation.

I hugged him, reaching up to mess up his hair when we broke apart. "Don't worry about me, please. I'll be fine, kay?"

He smiled and nodded. "Wanna go visit Tori before we go downstairs?" he asked, glancing towards the stairs that led up to the infirmary.

"Sure." I followed him up the stairs. In the infirmary, Tori was already awake and dressed. Seeing the looks on our faces, she sighed loudly and crossed her arms.

"What's wrong with you two now?" she demanded.

"PMS," Simon answered immediately, somehow managing to keep a straight face. "And we're out of super jumbo tampons."

She raised an eyebrow at him before turning to me. "What happened?"

"Nothing, Tori. Really."

"Damn right it's nothing. Momma bear's back and better than ever!" She flexed, posing like a body-builder.

It was my turn to roll my eyes. "Can we go downstairs now? I'm starving."

I turned to pull the door open for them, catching a glimpse of their reflections in the little glass window: Tori was giving Simon a questioning look, but he just shook his head.

They followed me out.

* * *

We ran into Andrew on the stairs.

"There you guys are! I was just on my way to fetch you from upstairs."

"Did something happen?" Tori asked.

"No, nothing to worry about. I was just informing everyone that we're ramping up security with an alarm system. It's all set up already so make sure you don't try going outside without getting someone to punch in the code for you." He smiled, but it didn't quite touch his eyes. "Any questions?"

I swore colourfully inside my head. _How the hell am I supposed to get out now?_

Tori's voice broke the silence. "Why now?" She crossed her arms defiantly, never one to believe what people told her right away.

Andrew's smile fell slightly. "It's nothing major, Victoria – we just thought that you guys would feel more secure if we upped our security measures a bit."

"I see." Her tone told me she didn't buy it one bit.

Andrew's smile returned. "Great. I'll be upstairs, kids – just give a shout if you need anything." We all nodded in turn, and he left without another word.

"We just thought you guys would feel more secure _MY ASS_!" Tori whispered as soon as he was out of earshot.

"What do you mean? Andrew wouldn't lie to us," Simon assured her.

She grabbed our arms, pulling us into the bathroom on the first floor. "Bull. He was lying through his teeth. Him and this stupid group of his are just doing everything they can to make sure we don't run off!"

"Andrew wouldn't do that," Simon insisted again.

Instead of trying to further convince him, she turned to me. "Chloe, what do you think?"

A few months ago, I wouldn't even have questioned my adoptive father. A few months ago, I would have told her she was being paranoid.

But a few months ago, I had no idea what people were capable of – what it felt like to be betrayed by someone you trusted.

"I'm sorry, Simon, but I gotta agree with Tori on this. If it was for our own protection like he claimed, why didn't he give us the code too?"

He swore under his breath, running a hand over his face. "Well… what should we do?"

Tori didn't miss a beat. "We should leave, ASAP – tonight, if we can. Frankly, if I wanted to be locked up and used as a weapon, I would've stuck with the Edison Group."

My pulse was racing out of control. "W-We can't leave tonight. Not yet." I struggled to find a plausible excuse. "We… we need to wait. Gather supplies, train a little, find out what's going on. We could be totally wrong about this; we shouldn't act rashly." I prayed my voice wasn't shaking too badly, but it sounded phoney even to my ears.

"Isn't acting rashly kind of our _thing_, though?"

"Shut up, Simon."

"I'm kidding, Tori. But Chloe's right. We're not going anywhere tonight."

She agreed reluctantly, and I let out the breath I'd been holding.

We talked things over for a few more minutes before Simon cut in. "Uh, guys? I don't want to cut short this lovely conversation, but I'm starving… and people might start to get suspicious when we all leave the bathroom at once."

"Tori and I will leave first, I guess. Wait a little and follow."

"Alright."

He was silent until we were halfway out the door, then, almost to himself: "Why are our team meetings always in the bathroom?"

* * *

We all retreated back to our respective rooms to rest. We – well, Tori and Simon – had 'training sessions' scheduled for later in the afternoon. I didn't ask if they planned on training me – didn't care, to be completely honest. Training or no training, my powers weren't something I was proud of, and keeping them under the radar was probably the best thing for us all.

Having gotten no sleep the night before, I probably should have followed Tori's example and taken a nap. But I had work to do. With the added obstacle of an alarm to bypass, getting outside tonight would be near impossible to do on my own.

I ran through possible scenarios in my head, finally deciding on the option that seemed better in comparison.

Stopping in front of Simon's door, I knocked twice quickly, praying that what I was about to do wouldn't jeopardize us all. He opened the door a crack, then all the way once he saw who it was. "Chloe? What's wrong?"

I took a deep breath. "I need your help and I need you to trust me and to not ask any questions even though I know that sounds crazy."

He blinked a few times, then looked around. Waving me in, he shut the door behind himself. "What's going on?"

"I can't tell you, Simon. Please don't ask."

"Okay… totally not an answer, but I guess you know that already." He bit his lip for a second. "What is it you need me to do, exactly?"

"I need a way outside tonight. Just for a few hours. It's life or death, Si – and that's not an exaggeration." I tensed, waiting for his reaction.

"I believe you. So you want me to disable the alarm? That's it?"

I nodded.

"What's this about?" he asked carefully. "Or better yet, what _can_ you tell me?"

Even I didn't know the answer to that one, but I figured if I was getting close to overstepping the boundary, my trusty demon would make an appearance. "Just that it's a matter of life and death. I can tell you after tonight, but you have to promise me you won't go looking for answers. No looking out the window or following me out or anything. Because if you don't do what I'm asking of you, Tori will die."

His eyes widened in shock, but said nothing. Registering the desperation in my eyes, he promised to do what I said. "But you gotta promise me something too: don't put yourself in danger. Don't put your life at risk. Please. Tori and I need you, Chlo."

I shot him an incredulous look, but he just smiled. "What? Who else is going to lose at monopoly when this is all over? Tori's a dirty cheat."

I laughed, but he waited for me to say the words. "I swear on Derek's grave, I won't put my life at risk. Satisfied?"

_You shouldn't be._

"Yes. Now I gotta go work on getting that code for you... I think I'll call it 'Operation Jailbreak'. Be right back, okay?"

"Kay."

He stood to go, then looked back at me. "Seriously though, you should've seen how she scammed me into letting her buy Park Place."

"Why does that not surprise me?"

* * *

Several hours of gut-clenching worry later there was a knock at my door. "Come in!" I called, silently begging the cosmos for a little bit of good news.

Simon eased the door open, sticking his head through the gap. "I can't stay – Andrew's calling me downstairs for an impromptu training session." Hearing his name again, he rolled his eyes. "Anyway, I hid while someone was leaving and got the code. It's 2-2-9-3. Just punch it in when you're ready to go."

Relief filled me, which was weird considering what getting the alarm code meant. "Thank you so much, Simon."

He opened the door a little wider and slipped in, pulling me into a hug. "Be careful, okay? Don't do anything crazy."

"I won't." I hugged him tighter. "Love you, Si."

His grip on my tightened, and I knew what he was thinking: no matter what I promised him, this could be the last time we saw one another. "Love you too, Chlo."

We pulled apart and he rushed out, leaving me alone to plan for what promised to be a horrible night.

* * *

I slung my backpack over my shoulder, preparing to descend the stairs for the last time – for this reason, at least. I took my time, making sure not to make a sounds as I made it to the landing and shuffled over to the door. The keypad glowed a dull red, illuminating the numbers. I took my time punching in the code as well, knowing a mistake could ruin everything. After punching in the numbers I waited. A few seconds passed, then the message on the display read 'disarmed'. I pulled the door open and glanced around, searching for any sign of the wolves. When none appeared I stepped out, pulling the door shut behind me.

I did a quick scan of the yard again, wondering _why _they hadn't shown themselves yet. They weren't under any time constraints – they could have waltzed right in hours ago and waited for me outside the door. Why were they playing fair? _I don't get it._

Unless… _could the demon be keeping them at bay?_

"_Oh, I could and I have, sweetheart – but not for much longer. Time for some fun – the thrilling conclusion to this exciting trilogy!"_

I crossed my arms. "_Fun_? Really? Haven't you had enough _fun_ at my expense already?"

"_Yes and no. Now, are you ready for your last encounter with your furry little friends?"_

"Sure. Yes. Whatever." This wasn't about her anymore. It was about protecting my friends and myself and anyone I might've endangered. Failing was not an option. I was going to survive this, and I was going to get Derek back, and no sadistic demon or pathetic excuse for a werewolf was going to stop me, dammit. Even the knowledge that we'd probably have to kill the werewolves chasing us didn't make me any less determined. Yes, I felt guilty about it – but I wasn't going to let that hinder me in any way. I was going to do what I had to do. I was a necromancer. Taking someone's life seemed like a line I shouldn't be crossing – even accidentally. But I really had no choice. I had to do it, for the sake of every single person living in the house… no matter what their motivations were for helping us.

_It's amazing how much your life can change in three days. Your world can go from chaos to order and back again, all while the rest of the world keeps chugging along like nothing ever happened. You can believe in something so strongly that it hurts and then get proven wrong. Begin to trust, fall in love, make a choice that changes everything. _

_It's amazing how much things can change in three days. _

I scanned the yard again, looking for any sign of movement in the trees. Not finding any, I approached the barrier, stepping through without hesitation. Another cursory glance, refusing to believe I was alone - knowing they had to be hiding somewhere.

I heard a rustling from my right. Heart racing, I waited as the shape approached.

_Derek._

Still in wolf form of course, but I'd expected that. His scars had barely healed from the night before, and the bandages I'd tied were nowhere to be found. His fur was matted with dried blood and caked with blood, and he had the overall appearance of an animal used in a PETA ad. He walked with a limp and kept his head down, coming to a stop next to me.

I knelt down and wrapped my arms around him, burying my face in his neck. "You're hurt," I whispered. "You shouldn't be here! Go inside, find Simon. You don't have to do this, Derek – I can hold them off for once night."

He shook his head. I pulled back and met his gaze. He was disagreeing with me, that much I could tell. The look in his eyes said it all: _No. I mean it, Chloe. _

"Don't get all hero-complex about this, D. Seriously. Get out of here before those psychos show-" He nudged me to my feet, focusing on a point to the left of where we were standing.

"Speak of the devil," I mumbled.

A guy burst through the trees – actually, the more accurate word is probably '_tripped_'. He swayed a little, trying to get his bearings. Once he was able to stand, he smiled and addressed me. "Waitin' for me, blondie?"

I shrugged. Judging by the hair colour, this was the Alpha's human form. And judging by his clothes and voice, he was a redneck. I hadn't expected this – fighting him in his human form – but it definitely leveled the playing field a little. I could take a douchebag with a limp, couldn't I?

Something bright caught my eye. I turned, spotting Liz. She strode towards us, taking up my left. "Chloe," she whispered urgently. "Be careful – his friend is here too, waiting. This is definitely a trap. I heard them talking before, and it seems like they're working for the Edison Group."

I swore under my breath – I'd been afraid of that. If they knew our location, there was nothing stopping them from revealing it to the Edison Group as soon as they were done with us. There was no other option now – we had to kill them.

"Didja say somethin', sweets? I can't hear ya!"

_Seriously? He wants me to play along with this shit? _"Cut the crap!" I called back. "I know you can hear me, werewolf. How are those stab wounds, by the way? Healing nicely, I hope?"

He took a few steps toward us, chuckling. "Blondie's got a mean streak in 'er! I like that in a girl. Makes it so much more fun ta break 'er." He winked at me, and I felt the bile rise in my throat. Beside me, Derek growled.

The guy sighed, taking a step back. "Tell yer boyfriend ta cool it. I ain't here to fight." He gestured to his leg and torso. "Ya'll made it so I can't Change without poppin' some stitches! Damn shame, too – I was lookin' forward ta rippin' his throat out tonight." He pointed to Derek, who made a sound that I took to be a laugh.

"What _do_ you want then?" I asked, already pretty sick of his monologue.

"No need ta be rude, darlin'! I was gettin' ta that part." He shook his head. "It's simple, girlie: you come back with me and my partner here, and outta the kindness a' ma heart, we let everyone inside that house live."

I rolled my eyes. "And you're gonna deliver me to the Edison Group and not tell them where you found me, right? Easy peasy?"

He laughed again, looping his thumbs through his belt loops. "Hell naw. What do you think this is? We're in the middle of a war, cutie. Winner take all."

"You're really bad at this negotiating thing, buddy. Are you sure you're qualified to be doing this?"

"Now darlin', I warned you about bein' rude. You didn't let me finish. Here's the other part of the deal: you get to warn everybody inside, let em know what's comin'. You'll be a hero!"

Derek growled next to me, obviously irritated.

The Alpha laughed again. "I see your boyfriend doesn't approve of my idea… well, that's just too bad, ain't it? Ya know, bein' in love shouldn't stop ya from makin' your own choices, sugar. Ya know, 'assert your independence' an' all that other feminist horseshit you girls are always spewin'!"

Derek growled at him again, in a way that I took to mean 'stop talking before I assert my foot up your ass'.

"So you don't wanna come with me, cutie? Are ya sure?"

I didn't grace his question with an answer.

"Well then, I have an even better idea." He put his fingers to his mouth and whistled "Ray? Where you at, buddy?"

"That's the other wolf that was with him yesterday," Liz clarified, just as the Hunter – Ray, apparently – appeared next to the Alpha.

"New offer, and this one's for the pup," he said, nodding in Derek's direction. "I got some unfinished business with some people up in New York, and your help with the matter would be… _greatly _appreciated. And since your mate's bein' difficult…" He licked his lips. "New offer, boy: you let us take you to New York, and Ray here won't rip your girl's throat out. Deal?"

I couldn't help it: I had to laugh. "Seriously? Do you really expect your buddy to be able to do that? He's in worse shape than you are, in case you haven't noticed."

"Worth a shot, wasn't it?" He shrugged as if it didn't matter to him either way. "Have it your way, cutie. I was just givin' ya'll a chance to get something outta all this, seein' as we're takin' you whether ya like it or not." He licked his lips again. "Personally, I like it when a girl fights a little – makes it so much more enjoyable. And I bet you got some fight in ya, girlie." His gaze travelled down my body, making my skin crawl.

"Please tell me we're going to kill this pervy bastard," Liz begged.

"We're going to kill this pervy bastard," I confirmed in a whisper.

The Alpha shrugged. "Now cutie, you're hurtin' ma feelings!" He turned to his partner and shrugged. "Ray, I guess they're gonna make us do this the hard way… whenever you're ready, buddy."

The Hunter stepped forward cautiously. Realizing we'd been outside the barrier for longer than we needed to be, I stepped back a few feet. "We gotta get back inside the barrier. Maybe it won't let the wolf in…"

I knew it was a long shot, but it was all I had.

"Get inside, guys – I'll hold them off," Liz whispered.

I took another step back, trying to mentally calculate the shortest distance back inside the barrier. I was trying to be subtle about it, too, but apparently my plan was a bit translucent. "Nu uh. Not so fast, cutie. Those spells ain't gon' be of much use to you, seein' as how you let me in last time." He hobbled forward so that he was a few dozen feet in front of me. "But by all means, take your chances. It's funner this way."

I nudged Derek, and – abandoning all pretenses of subtlety – we ran for it. Behind us, I could hear the Alpha's delighted laughter.

Once inside, we both turned towards the barrier, waiting for him to make his move. He limped forward, reaching his hand out towards the swirls of light. For a second he looked amazed – like a kid watching a fireworks display – but he smiled cruelly and his amazement was gone, replaced by a look of triumph.

He stuck his hand through the barrier.

Laughing almost maniacally, he stepped through. I took a few steps back, trying to distance myself from him. He cracked his neck, then his knuckles – all part of the show.

"RAY!" he shouted, waving his friend over. The wolf surged forward, stopping when he was less than a foot from the spot where the Alpha had entered. He reached a paw forward tentatively, testing the barrier.

_Please don't let him in_, I prayed. If the wolf was trapped outside the barrier, I knew that Derek and I could easily take on the Alpha. But if the wolf managed to get through, Derek would be distracted fighting him, and with Liz trapped outside….

His paw went through.

I swore, watching as the wolf entered the barrier. He went to stand next to the Alpha, who was practically beaming.

I reached back, pulling a knife out of my bag. "Go," I whispered, meeting Derek's eyes. "I'll hold off the Alpha for now, okay?" He bobbed his head, then stepped in front of me, bracing for the attack.

I tore off, knowing my only chance was to keep the guy from catching me. With a bunch of injuries to his legs and torso, his speed was diminished, giving me the advantage. But despite his lack of speed, he still had his werewolf senses – night vision, specialized hearing and an incredible sense of smell – so I had to be on high alert. I looped back around the side of the house, doing my best to make as little noise as possible. The sound of his voice was all I could hear above the sound of my own breathing – the guy loved to talk, and although it was annoying, it did tell me just how far away he was.

"Darlin', come on now! You ain't gon' make an old cripple run, are ya?"

I bolted into the trees, crossing through the barrier with barely a second thought. _Fat lot of good it'll do now._ My best bet would probably to find a tree and climb, but I didn't have enough of a lead just yet; I needed to tire him out so I could get far enough ahead.

I heard laughing from somewhere to my left. "Blondie wants ta play hide n' seek, does she? Fine with me!" His voice was a lot closer than it had been a few moments before, and I began to panic.

Liz popped into view, pointing me in the right direction. "He's coming from the left, Chloe. Just run east and I'll hold him up!"

I thanked her and took off.

I don't know how far I ran. The forest was pitch black that late at night, and with no moonlight flooding in through the trees, I couldn't see more than a few feet in front of me. I ran until my lungs felt like they were going to explode, praying the entire time that Derek was okay taking on the other wolf on his own.

A howl cut through the silence.

_Well that answers that question_.

"Liz!" I hissed into the darkness.

No response.

I tried not to panic, assuring myself that she was probably too busy keeping the Alpha away or helping Derek or something else that would keep her tied up, but I had a bad feeling – a tingle on the back of my neck that told me things were not alright… especially since the demon hadn't made a peep since I stepped outside.

A laugh from behind me – but this time, it was female.

I spun around, coming almost face to face with Liz – except it wasn't Liz at all. Where her blue eyes had been just minutes ago there were now black eyes, no pupil or iris visible. She was laughing, but it was all wrong: too high for her voice, too out of place in this dark forest. A chill ran down my back. _The demon._

"Leave her alone!" I demanded, taking a few steps towards her. "I did what you wanted; my side of the contract has been fulfilled. LEAVE!"

"But it's so _cozy_ here!" she said, pouting, "And besides, I'm not done playing with you yet, little necromancer."

"Well I'm sure as hell done playing with you," I hissed. I closed my eyes, letting my anger run surge through me, imagining it giving fuel to my powers. I pictured her being shoved back into whatever circle of hell she'd crawled out of, ruing the day she decided to play with my fate. Just one good mental shove and—

"Not so fast, Chloe!" she warned. My eyes sprang open; she was smiling almost as big as the Alpha had been. "Fair warning, child: if you attempt to banish me, your little friend goes with me." She stuck out her – Liz's – hand and made a disapproving noise. "Your friend could definitely use the tan though – she's far too pale, and I hear hell is lovely this time of year." She winked, and I saw red.

"You will leave her alone," I said, voice eerily calm, "or I'll pull you out myself and send you back. And don't even try to offer me a deal. You have until three. One. Two. Th-"

She held up her hand to silence me. "Fine, I'll leave if you wish it, Chloe Saunders. But do not assume that I won't be back." She stepped back, smiling wickedly. "Also, you might want to check on your boyfriend – poor guy doesn't seem to be holding up very well…"

She laughed again, but it faded as Liz's eyes returned to normal. She pitched forward, clutching her head. "Chl-Chloe?" she asked, blinking slowly. "What-?"

"It's a long story, Liz, but we don't have time right now: Derek's in trouble."

She shook her head to clear it. "I'll see what I can do," she said, then disappeared.

On my own once again, I decided against retracing my steps. Instead, I ran slightly southeast, knowing that I'd eventually end up in the clearing around the house. Still on high alert, I focused most of my energy on running, not allowing my thoughts to drift to what could be happening between the two opposing werewolves or the fact that I was being chased by one.

Either Liz had done a better job than I'd thought, or the Alpha had given up on chasing me.

I increased my speed when the trees began to thin out. Pulling my knife out of my belt loop, I took a few seconds to survey the scene from the edge of the treeline. Derek and the other wolf were still sparring at full speed, each sporting a few new battle wounds. Liz, however, was nowhere to be found – they were fighting inside the barrier, which she couldn't cross through even if she wanted to. The Alpha was off to the side, watching the fight with a look that was something between delighted and ecstatic, arms crossed as he waited for his friend to give the killing blow.

I edged closer, planning my attack. They were blurs of fur, fighting so fast that I couldn't get between them without possibly hurting Derek; but if I caused a distraction….

I shot out, making up my mind in a split second. I could feel my power surging through me, begging to be released; I let it trickle out as I walked, sending with it a message:

_Come here._

The reactions were instantaneous: both Derek and the Hunter ceased their fighting and separated, watching as I approached the Alpha with my weapon raised. Derek started growling, and without looking I knew exactly what he was trying to say, because I was asking it myself: _what the hell are you doing?_

The Alpha smiled, eyes bright with excitement. "There ya are, cutie! Thought I'd lost you out there!" He jerked his head at my knife, then added, "Didn't your mama ever teach you not ta run with knives? It's dangerous, ya know – pretty girl like you might get her face all _cut up_."

I flipped him off with my free hand, stopping a few dozen feet away. Out of the corner of my eye I could see the Hunter approaching us, ready to protect his Alpha.

And I could also see Derek preparing to strike.

I turned my attention back to the Alpha and nodded as subtly as I could; telling Derek this was what I had planned. _Get him while you can_. _I'll distract them. _

I took a few steps forward and the Alpha mirrored my actions. The Hunter was growling now, warning me not to mess with his boss, but I ignored him – he wouldn't be a problem much longer. There was rustling coming from the trees: it was time.

"Do you really think I'm scared of you, blondie?" The Alpha dragged out the endearment, twisting it into an insult. "You think you and your knife and your big bad wolf and your little group of misfits are gonna be enough to take down the Edison Group? Do ya?"

I smiled, lifting my knife. "I think we're going to be more than enough, actually." I closed my eyes, sending out another command: _forward_.

Chaos erupted from the trees.

I didn't need to look. I could feel their presence - dozens of bodies, in almost every stage of decay. Bears, deer, small animals; they were all there, lined up along the edge of the trees, surrounding us.

Waiting for an order from their master.

He swore colourfully, taking in the scene.

"You see them, right? Good. Because if you don't leave in the next ten seconds, they're going to tear you and your friend apart. And you know what else? You can't kill them. They're. Already. Dead."

A blur of movement behind me. I spun around, catching sight of the Hunter as he ran flat-out toward the forest, cutting his losses. I chuckled, waving at his retreating figure.

"Your friend had the right idea," I said, turning back to face the Alpha.

The look on his face was pure hatred. Before my brain could even register what was going on, he'd crossed the distance between us and ripped my knife from my hand. He put his hands on either side of my head, blade resting on the skin just above my Adam's apple.

Derek growled, the fury radiating off him in waves. He ran towards us, determined to get me out of danger.

"Ah ah ah. Not so fast, pup! One more step and I slice her pretty little neck open, got it?"

He stopped, eyes meeting mine. _What do we do?_

"And that goes for you too, girlie – one twitch from your little army and it's lights out!"

_Liz. We need Liz. _But she was on the other side of the barrier, unable to cross through because of the wards on the house.

I closed my eyes, focusing all my power on a single thought: _Liz. We need help._ I envisioned myself pulling her through the barrier, using all my strength to get her through. I was sweating from the effort, my face already wet from the exertion of the night. _Please Liz. Make it through._

I felt his hands moving before he realized what was happening and smiled.

The Alpha's arms flew open, pulled by some invisible force. _Liz. _The knife went flying, and I ducked out of his grasp, running full speed toward Derek. Once I was safely out of the Alpha's range, Derek approached him, snarling. I could feel his rage, hatred for the man who'd dared to threaten my life.

But despite his anger, Derek was never going to be the cold-hearted killer the Edison Group expected him to be. Ever. I watched as he gave the Alpha a wide berth, giving him the chance to leave with his life.

He didn't take it.

He lunged at Derek, the knife in his hand again.

"DEREK!"

He saw the knife, dodging just in time to avoid getting stuck by it. The Alpha ran, headed for the side of the house. Derek took off after him, snarling and growling. I tore off after the both of them, simultaneously attempting to release the spirits of the animals I'd risen. I imagined holding a handful of strings, each attached to its own brightly coloured balloon. I imaged myself letting go of the strings, letting the balloons float away; I hoped it worked.

When I reached them, Derek had the Alpha cornered. He had his back to the wall, standing just a few feet in front of it, glowering at the wolf in front of him. "You think this is over, pup? I promise ya, this is just the beginning."

The Alpha lunged at Derek again, hands now distorted into claws. Derek leaped, paws hitting the Alpha's torso. His head hit the brick, the sickening _crack!_ echoing through the yard. He slumped to the ground, eyes wide in eternal shock.

For a minute, neither of us moved. We were frozen in place, minds unable to process what had happened.

_We killed someone._

I tried to speak, but all I could manage was his name: "D-Derek?"

Head down, he inched his way over to me, a sound like a whimper escaping his lips.

I knelt down, meeting his eyes. "You had no choice. _We_ had no choice, okay? It's not your fault." I wrapped my arms around his neck, whispering, "It's not your fault; it's not your fault" until the shaking stopped. At the time, I wasn't sure which one of us I'd been talking to.

* * *

I don't remember falling asleep, but when I opened my eyes I was laying on the ground, arms stretched around someone who wasn't there anymore. I shot up, rubbing the sleep from my eyes, searching the yard for Derek.

_What if it was all just a dream?_

I glanced over at the spot the Alpha had died.

It was gone.

Panicking now, I pulled myself to my feet. Getting closer, I realized that although there wasn't a body present, there was a trail in the dirt – almost as if something large had been dragged from the spot. I followed it, guessing what had happened.

I stopped at the edge of the treeline. There I found Derek, dragging the Alpha's body toward the edge of the barrier.

"Derek." I said his name in a whisper, trying not to startle him. He stopped, nodding toward the forest. _I'm trying to hide the body, _he seemed to be saying.

I joined him, trying my best not to think about what we were doing. _This is a part of your life now. Do what you gotta do to stay alive, remember? Roll with the punches._

We weren't very far in when Derek stopped in his tracks, lifting his nose. Within seconds he was in front of me, bracing for an attack.

A guy stepped out from behind a tree, wearing nothing but a pair of shorts. He was covered in blood and limping badly, and he was holding his arm out in a way that suggested it was broken in a few places.

I didn't have it in me to be shocked by anything anymore. "Ray, I presume?"

"You got it." He held up his good hand, separating his fingers _Star Trek_-style. "Tell your boyfriend I come in peace, okay?"

"How do I know you're not here to finish the job?" I demanded.

He sighed. "Look at me, kid; I have one good limb left. Do I look like I'm in the right state to finish anything?"

"I guess not," I admitted. "But then- what do you want?"

"I just came back for him," he said, scratching his head. "Bastard's gotten us into a lot of shitty situations, but I couldn't just leave him here…"

"I get it. You can… uh… take him, I guess?"

He nodded. "Thanks kid. Sorry about… well, you know. It was nothing personal; just Liam trying to make a quick buck." He shook his head. "I _told him_ it was a bad idea. I _told him_. But did he listen? No. Now look at him." He shook his head again. "Damn shame, if you ask me."

"Uh, yeah. If you don't mind-"

"Keepin' quiet about everything? Plan on it, actually. I'm getting as far away from the Edison Group as possible before they realize we're not gonna deliver."

Derek grunted in agreement.

"Thanks."

"No problem, kid. And good luck. If the Edison Group is after you guys, you're gonna need it."

* * *

We were almost back to the barrier when I realized something was wrong.

He was walking like he was unsure of his footing, missing a step every few minutes. We weren't speaking – still taking in the events of the night – but there was something _wrong_ in the silence: something keeping us from breaking it.

It was clear to me what was happening: he was going to Change soon.

I stopped walking. The house was somewhat visible from where we were, but there were still enough layers of trees to keep us hidden from plain sight. Leading him to a spot with a bit of space between the trees, I sat down, gesturing for him to do the same.

I looked him dead in the eyes. "I'm staying with you, okay? I know you're Changing, and I know you're scared, but you have to get through it. I'll be right here."

He closed his eyes and got into position. His ears flattened against his head as he braced for the pain.

I took my backpack off and went to kneel down next to him. Mimicking what I did the night before, I placed my hand between his shoulder blades, reassuring him with my touch. I felt the next few muscle spasms shake his body – felt his bones rearranging themselves under my hand. He was whimpering from the pain, and the sound was breaking my heart.

_He has to make it through this time. He has to._

His front legs began to thicken and elongate. The hair on his body began to shorten, retracting back into the follicle and disappearing so well it was as if they'd never grown. His ears were moving down on his skull, rounding out as they went. I watched as the planes of his face began to shrink and re-shape themselves into the features I knew like the back of my hand.

"You're doing great," I whispered, keeping my voice level. "You're going to make it through this time, Derek, I can feel it."

In reality, I didn't know if he would make it through or not. I was terrified, watching as these changes happened. I knew it wasn't possible and I knew it couldn't be real but for some reason my brain refused to process the fact that it was actually happening.

But I couldn't show him that. I knew he was terrified – knew he'd always been terrified of going through this process – and if I showed him how scared I was, his fear would increase tenfold. I just had to be there – to hold his hand through it and hope for the best.

Like before, he grabbed my hand once the pain overwhelmed him. I squeezed his, letting him know I wasn't going anywhere. Ever.

"I love you," I whispered, placing my second hand over his. "I know it hurts. I'm right here, okay? I'm right here."

"Chloe-" the voice was deep and guttural, but it was definitely his. Whatever he was planning to say was cut off by a cry of agony as his spine began to crack and pop. Tears fell, and I couldn't stop them. It was too much: watching him experience this hell. I bit my lip to keep any sound from escaping, swearing that if I ever found the people responsible for what they'd done to him, I'd kill them myself.

Her voice came from every direction at once, surrounding our little clearing. "You know, I could help him as well, sweetheart. All I need is another favour from you and lover boy can be put right in a heartbeat."

"What else could you possibly want from me?" I demanded, voice raw.

"Well… I could always use a body. A real body, mind you. A living one. It's so _hard_ to wreak havoc and indulge in the sins of the flesh when you don't have any flesh of your own."

"But I can't give you a _living_ body," I said slowly, more than a little confused by her request.

She giggled, and the sound burned my ears. "Chloe, little Chloe… it's so _refreshing_ how little you know about your powers. Did you think they only gave you power over the dead in that little lab of theirs? Oh no. Those scientists were _ambitious_, darling – they wanted to give you power over life, too! Power over the _soul_!"

None of it made sense. "But-"

"All I'm asking for is a swap, Chloe. I bring you a vessel, and you… _empty it_ for me. Not a big deal, really! In exchange, I'll help poor Derek here and tell you about all the _wonderful_ things you can do…."

"No." The sound of his voice startled me, pulling me out of her spell. I looked up and met his gaze, nodding my understanding. "S-send her b-back," he rasped, wincing as another bone popped and shifted.

I closed my eyes, focusing everything I had. I pictured the demon as a blob of energy floating around a few feet above the ground. I imagined her energy being sucked down deep into the depths of the Earth, pulled until she hit the deepest, darkest, most impossible pit of hell. I reminded myself of all the heartbreak she'd caused my friends and I: making us believe Derek was dead and leading us into situation after situation where we'd almost lost our lives. I imagined her encased within hundreds of cages, all stuck within one another like Russian dolls.

And I pushed.

"No! Please! I'll help you! I have things to tell you – things you need to hear! Please, child, don't send me back!" I heard her pleading, but I was too far past caring to show her any compassion. She didn't deserve it, and I had none to offer her.

When I no longer heard her voice, I opened my eyes.

Derek was retching, his ears moving up on his head again.

"No! You will not leave me again, Derek Souza! You are going to get through this Change!"

But even as I said the words, I could feel his hand changing beneath mine, fingers shortening into a paw. "Please, Derek," I begged, vision blurring.

I saw the look in his eyes – the same one he'd had before he'd left me that day in my backyard. The day he'd told me he loved me, and the day we'd kissed for the first time. It felt like years ago, but it had only been a few months, hadn't it? We'd changed so much in what had really been no time at all, and yet we were still the same people underneath.

I wiped my tears away. And I brushed my lips against his and smiled as best I could. "Remember the night you guys first tried talking to me? You and Simon basically told me you were peeping toms and then requisitioned me for my friendship."

He laughed despite the pain, and I kept going. "And remember that night you told me that witches were probably just as strong as sorcerers? Remember how angry Simon got? I've never seen a ten year old so determined to win a debate!"

I paused as he retched again, holding back the onslaught of tears when I saw the hair growing again. "Remember how, whenever you'd look at me those few years, you'd blush so bad your whole face was red the entire night? Every single time, and I never caught on. I always thought you thought I was an idiot," I admitted, pushing his hair back from his face. "But I knew I loved you. And Simon. You guys are my best friends. My whole life. When I thought you were dead, I didn't know what to do with myself. There was a time that I got really bad, Derek. Rock bottom low. I got really close to ending it. Really, really close. And the only thing that stopped me was knowing that I had to take care of Simon and that you'd be so_ incredibly _pissed at me if I went through with it."

He shook his head, unable to form the words. His face was elongating again, arms and legs thinning. I let the tears flow freely; it wasn't worth taking my hand off his to wipe them away.

"All that time we spent together; all those nights in my backyard. All that sneaking around just to get time alone together and we didn't even do normal teenager things like make out. We did _math homework_, D. Math homework! All that time I was in love with you, and I never acted on it… then again, neither did you, jerk! You stepped back because you didn't want to hurt Simon, and then you got all pouty when he made a move."

He rolled his eyes at me, but I could tell he was struggling to hold himself up after so much strain. I eased his head down onto my lap, rubbing circles on the hand I was still holding.

"Remember the night we kissed?" I asked in a whisper. "I still think you were being a tad bit overdramatic about it all – I could've gone with you, Der. We make a good team."

He whimpered as the bones in his shoulders shifted and a muscle spasm rocked his form. His eyelids were lowering slowly, hiding his eyes. There was a horrible feeling in the pit of my stomach, telling me I couldn't let him sleep now. Not when he was this close.

He was more wolf than human now, but I kept going. "I'm sorry for what I said after we escaped the Edison Group's compound. I knew you were just worried about me. I don't know why I acted like such a bitch…" I checked for a reaction, but his eyes were closed.

I shook my head, refusing to let this beat him. I reached down to check his heartbeat; it wasn't strong, but it was still there, thankfully.

_Power over the living AND the dead - power over the soul. The power to remove souls, switch souls, pull them out of the air and stick them back in at will. But can I fix them? Can I heal them?_

I closed my eyes, focusing my mind and energy once again. I knew it was a long shot, and I knew it was probably my worst idea to date. But I had to try. I envisioned the essence of Derek, memories mixed in with things like the way his laugh sounded or the way his cheeks would get red. And I imagined it being overshadowed by his power, taken over by this thing he couldn't control. I pictured all the things that made up Derek, and I pictured the wolf, and I pictured him fighting it with everything he had.

And then I pictured him winning.

I imagined him locking away that part of himself that he couldn't control, putting it behind bars until he was ready to use it again; harmony with his power and who he was.

I opened my eyes to find him staring up at me, exhaustion etched into every inch of his face.

And I asked him to try one last time.

He closed his eyes as the hair began to thin and recede. His arms and fingers thinned, returning to normal size. Bones cracked and shifted and he howled in agony, but it was quicker this time and he had felt it all before.

He was coming back.

Ears shifted, his tail disappeared; paws were replaced with feet, and the hair on his head returned to its normal length. And his eyes stayed the same, even as the rest of his face changed: the piercing green that could never belong to anyone but him.

A few more shifts and I knew it was over. Exhausted, he closed his eyes, hand – his completely _human_ hand – still squeezing mine with everything he had.

"Love you," he whispered, voice raw. I leaned down and kissed his forehead gently, pushing his hair back from his eyes. He was already asleep.

* * *

I pulled my hand out of his grasp as gently as I could so as not to wake him. I unzipped my sweater, draping it over him as he slept. Everything in me was screaming that I shouldn't leave him, but what choice did I have? I needed to get help, and this was the only way.

I ran, ignoring the pain. I pushed through it all, numb to it as I made my way closer to the house. The sun was up now, and in the daylight you would never believe it was the same place where I'd spent so many nights running and fighting for my life. The front door was in my line of sight, and I swear there was a faint white glow around the entire thing. I wasted no time, pounding on it with everything I had.

Andrew flung the door open, with Tori and Simon staring at me with wide eyes from either side of him. He was shocked to see me outside – that was a given - but there was also some worry there, too, telling me he still cared. "Chloe! What's wrong? Where have you-?"

"The shaman. I need the shaman," I gasped for air between words, struggling to fill my lungs.

"Are you hurt, Chloe? Were you attacked? You look like you've seen a ghost!"

"Derek," I choked out. "I found Derek."

* * *

**A/N: Oh man, I got so freaking emotional writing that. I forgot that this story has that effect on me.**

**Well, I hope you liked it! Again, sorry about going on such a long hiatus. I'm back, baby! (And better than ever? No? Let me know what you thought! I miss you guys!) Also, feel free to yell at me.**

**Anyone who sent me a message during my absence and still wants an answer: please include it in a review and I'll get back to you ASAP, darlings!**


End file.
